


Rocket To Xibalba

by grand_mephy



Series: Rivals in a Dangerous Spacetime [1]
Category: New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Alternate Chapter X, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Gen, Hemoptysis, Honorifics, Planning to have a "localized" version, Spoilers, Won't specify just in case
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-22
Updated: 2017-10-30
Packaged: 2018-11-17 08:26:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 20,810
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11271693
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/grand_mephy/pseuds/grand_mephy
Summary: [NDRV3 SPOILERS]"You're a liar, Momota-chan."Momota's grip on the doorknob tightens."The fuck's that supposed to mean?""Nothing," Ouma says, in a tone that suggests otherwise. "But just so you know. Birds of a feather flock together."For liars and heroes, desperate times call for cooperative measures.





	1. Liar Liar

**Author's Note:**

> This is my take on Chapter 4 if Momota had taken initiative sooner. Watch as he and Ouma wreak havoc like the troublemakers they are.
> 
> EDIT: This fic was written before the ENG release of V3 so I apologise for any, uh, jarring usage of honorifics and terms. In the JP translation, Ouma refers to everyone with the suffix "—chan"; Gonta didn't speak broken Japanese; and Momota refers to everyone by their family names except for Gonta, "Shuuichi" (the equivalent to the localized "bro") and "Harumaki" (meaning "spring roll").
> 
> I'm planning to publish a "localized" version using first names sometime, so there's that. I hope you enjoy this story regardless!

Momota doesn't what the fuck it is; he just knows it's unnatural and painful and goddamn annoying. He's even started to slack off on nightly training sessions. Shuuichi and Harumaki are being good sports about it, but Momota knows they'll catch on soon enough. Shuuchi's a detective, after all. Harumaki probably knows he's sick (the word's a fucking understatement, really) but not sick _sick_ , and he's sorta afraid what her reaction will be if she finds out.  
  
Either way, it ain't fun coughing out a fuckton of blood. He can function in the day fine enough but it's the nights that've been squeezing the life outta him, ever since the whole ghost bullshit started. Momota knows he can't keep it up for much longer (he doesn't want to say he's _dying_ , that's too fucked up of a thought right now) so he resolves to do something, anything that can get them a step closer to the outside world.  
  
So he finds himself climbing the dorm stairs after the third trial, ninety-three percent sure that he's about to make the biggest mistake of his life. He doesn't know why his feet suddenly decided to be assholes and take him before _his_ door, but whatever. He's already made his mind up.  
  
After thumbing the intercom with too much force, it doesn't take long before he appears.  
  
"Oh, Momota-chan? Shouldn't you be asleep right now?"  
  
Ouma, like the fucking hypocrite he is, looks far too awake for the hour. Momota clenches his fists and averts his gaze.  
  
"I need your help."  
  
He thinks it catches Ouma off guard. Who knows. When Momota looks back, Ouma has that annoying grin on his face and a glimmer in his eyes. "Eh? Momota-chan wants my help? Just as I thought, he isn't smart at all!"  
  
"I'm standing right here, you bastard," Momota growls, and because he always fucking lets his guard down, he adds, "And I'm plenty smart! I passed my astronaut entrance exam, didn't I?"  
  
"After you thought you could get away with it! Geez, you sure are dumb~"  
  
" _Whatever_ , are you going to help me or not?"  
  
Ouma's smile grows a touch too wide. "That depends. Are you asking me to be an accomplice?"  
  
Momota doesn't know how to respond at first. "Uh," he stammers, "I guess? I just wanna discuss ways we can beat Monokuma and get everybody out here."  
  
To his chagrin, Ouma actually looks disappointed. "Aw~ And here I thought you were going to ask me to help you kill someone. But you're just boring as ever. I had really high hopes for you, too." Then he laughs. "Nishishi~! Sorry, but that was a lie! You're still as dumb as you look!"  
  
Momota lets his mind process a single, murderous thought dedicated to the boy in front of him before summoning the last dregs of his patience.  
  
"Look," he grits out, "eight of us are dead because we sat around and did jack shit. I ain't going to listen to Monokuma anymore and you shouldn't too, so stop playing around and do something for once. I mean," he growls, "you want to get out too, right?"  
  
Ouma stares at him, head cocked in an unsettling way. It's making Momota feel like a specimen in a petri dish, which shouldn't freak him out because, well. He's a good foot taller than the guy.  
  
"Hey, Momota-chan?" Ouma says. "Why do you want to leave so soon?"  
  
Momota frowns. "Why wouldn't I?" When Ouma doesn't elaborate, he sighs. "Well obviously, I still need to go to space. Can't do that if I'm stuck here."  
  
"But don't you know?" Ouma puts a finger to his lips, "Monokuma said the game will go on until two people are left standing. You can just wait it out and survive, can't you? You made it this far."  
  
"You — fucking _hell_ ," Momota snarls. "Are you even listening to what I'm saying?! I ain't leaving everybody else to die so I can get out by myself!"  
  
Ouma gasps. "You're even willing to save _me_?"  
  
"You can go fuck yourself."  
  
"There's just one thing I don't get," Ouma says, ignoring the Astronaut's harsh words. "Even though you're being all Momota-chan and wanting to save the day, you're not actually thinking about _us_ , are you? I mean, _I_ don't mind playing this interesting killing game. And everybody else doesn't seem to mind too." His smile widens. "Angie-chan wanted to stay here forever. And Shinguji-chan was happy to play along to murder her and Chabashira-chan." Ouma suddenly slumps. "Geez, aren't we the worst at keeping promises? Next thing you know, Kii-boy will malfunction and kill me by accident!"  
  
"Stop with that shit," Momota growls. "The only reason they did that is 'cause Monokuma made them! It's those fucking motives. I bet if we deal with them, we can buy ourselves time."  
  
"Oh?" Ouma cocks his head. "Are you trying to be smart?"  
  
Momota scoffs. "Say what you want, Ouma, but I know you wanna get out as much as I do. That's why we have to beat Monokuma!" He glares. "So if you're done interrogating me then let's fucking start."  
  
Ouma sighs. "You really don't get what I mean, do you, Momota-chan? Bakamota-chan. Oh no, I'm sounding like the pig!"  
  
Momota sighs. "Look, are we gonna start or what?"  
  
"Yep!"  
  
The Astronaut blinks. "Wait, really?"  
  
"Nope!" Ouma cackles. "Sorry, Momota-chan! Oh, but that's a lie too."  
  
Oh, for _the love of—!_ "Why the fuck not?!"  
  
"Because you're predictable," Ouma continues, gaze suddenly averted as he picks his nails. "You probably want to do it by force. Gather everyone up to break the outside wall. Or maybe you'll get yourself killed trying to destroy the Exisals, like what nearly happened in the first trial. Oh!" He cackles. "Remember that time you tried to grab Monokuma? If the Monocubs hadn't crushed him, you totally would have died! How embarrassing would that've been?"  
  
"You know what, _you're a fucking_ — wait." Momota backtracks for a second. "Wait a minute." He pulls out his Monopad and double-checks the rules.  
  
"Holy shit," he breathes. "Ouma, you're a  _genius_."  
  
And yeah, Ouma's confused look is priceless as fuck. "See, you know how we can't hurt Monokuma because of his bullshit rule?" Momota continues. "Well, it doesn't say that — actually, no," He glances around the dorms, "let's do this somewhere more private. Come on, let me in."  
  
"Momota-chan's so forward," Ouma mumbles, looking like a kicked puppy (but Momota knows he's just exaggerating).  
  
" _Fine_. Even though you're annoying, you should still figure it out." Momota pockets his Monopad and gives the Supreme Leader his most earnest expression. "I'll be back in the morning to talk it over with you, yeah? We'll come up with a plan and everything." Man, he's getting pumped up just thinking about it!  
  
Ouma huffs. "Don't bother, I won't want to listen anyway. Talk to your beloved Saihara-chan and Harukawa-chan about it. I'm sure they won't mind being dragged to their deaths."  
  
"Nah, I've decided that this is our thing," Momota says with a grin, pointedly ignoring the other's jab. "It's just safer if we keep it between us for the time being, you know? We'll get the others in on the plan once you and me have got the general idea."  
  
"B-But I didn't agree to this! You're forcing me against my will!" Ouma wails, tears pricking his eyes. "Help! Momota-chan's being mean~!!"  
  
"I ain't forcing you to anything!" Momota yells back. Fuck, why did he think this could work? The guy stresses him out too much and it ain't good given his condition. In fact, Momota feels kinda dizzy just from shouting. "Look, I ain't budging on this. I'll see you in the morning so you better be ready!"  
  
"Ehh, what a scary death threat!" And Momota doesn't hear the rest of Ouma's shit, having walked to his room door. Man, talking to the guy _really_ tires him out.  
  
He's about to walk in when Ouma's voice pipes up.  
  
"You're a liar, Momota-chan."  
  
Momota's grip on the doorknob tightens.  
  
"The fuck's that supposed to mean?"  
  
"Nothing," Ouma says, in a tone that suggests otherwise. "But just so you know. Birds of a feather flock together."  
  
His stomach churning, Momota grits his teeth and retreats into his room.


	2. Establishing Ground Control

In the haze of his sleep, a single red eye flutters open. Film rolls. He can hear the tinkling of Akamatsu's tears as they hit the floor — everyone's ragged breaths — his knuckles cracking, like bent twigs. Monokuma grins.  
  
_I feel like you won't be living for long._  
  
  
  
" _Fuck_ ," Momota gasps, bolting up in a cold sweat. He coughs instantly, a hand clutching the knot building in his chest. His heart thuds — his breathing's in disarray — spittle flies in ugly globs, painting his palm with pink.  
  
Shit, it hurts.  
  
Alone in the frigid, cobalt dark, Momota hangs his head and stifles a whine. But hey. In just a few hours he'll be on his feet, shoveling a crap-ton of calories in his mouth and acting as if nothing's wrong.  
  
So yeah. It's all good.  
  
Coughing fit subsided, he shuffles into the bathroom. Momota winces when he sees the sweat on his face and the redness in his eyes, every pore of his sickly pallor exposed in the harsh, unforgiving light.  
  
_I feel like you won't be living for long._  
  
He punches the mirror with a snarl.  
  
That bastard. He knew, he fucking knew! All along since the start!  
  
There's one thing Momota doesn't get, though. If Monokuma had known about his sickness since the first trial, then how long has he had it?  _Why_  does he have it? And what the fuck can he do about it, because as far as he's concerned, dying's not on his agenda. Not before going to space!  
  
"Oi, Monokuma! You hear me right now? Come out and talk!"  
  
No reply.  
  
Feh. Coward.  
  
Momota spends the rest of the time splashing water on his face and wondering if aspirin will quell some of the pain. He's never really liked medicine, but hey. Desperate times and all. It's still technically nighttime, so he might as well get it before anybody's up.  
  
It's strange. There's never a sunrise or sunset. It's always either day or night, never an in between. Momota sees the stars peeking from the glass dome that traps them, organised in a way that makes his fingers itch. The constellations are all wrong, the timing and positions in complete misalignment. It's like a some shitty planetarium.  
  
Momota never really paid it much mind, too caught up in the death and disaster, the sickness and training, and Harumaki, and Shuuichi, and--  
  
—but glancing up, he thinks:  _Wow. They're pretty._  
  
If only he could join them. Momota reaches out a hand, the one clutching his newfound pill bottle, and thinks:  _Wow._  
  
He doesn't know what's weirder, the stars or his sickness.  
  
"Shit," he breathes.  
  
Since when did death stop being weird?

 

 

* * *

 

"Morning, Harumaki!"  
  
"Morning," the Assassin intones, her red-eyed gaze zeroing in on his entire being. "What are you doing in front of Ouma's door?"  
  
"Oh, uh. He stole something from me."  
  
She regards him carefully. "Is that so."

"Yeah. Don't worry, I'll just be a sec. And if you see him 'round, tell him to come find me." He bumps his fists. "Nobody steals the great Momota Kaito's kiseru!"  
  
Harumaki's mouth opens as if to ask, but she turns away at the last second. "Sure. Just don't be late for breakfast." Then she walks away without so much as a glance, but hey! The concern is appreciated. Momota grins at how far she's gotten from being the group's loner to their number one, er, not-killer. Expectation-exceeder. Yeah, that's a good... words.  
  
It only occurs to Momota, after spending five minutes spamming Ouma's intercom, that he's far too cheery for the situation. In that three of their friends just  _died_  yesterday. And yeah, thinking about it still makes him mad. But what else is he going to do, sulk around?  
  
Hell no! He's going to get the rest of them out of there! He'll do it for everyone who's died. For everyone who  _doesn't_  deserve to die.  
  
"Ah, good morning, Momota-kun."  
  
"Morning, Shirogane," he greets back. "You seen Ouma around?"  
  
Shirogane frowns. "No, not least on my way here."  
  
Momota glances around the dining hall. Kiibo and Iruma are seated at the far end of the table, unusually quiet, while Harumaki plates up her moderate breakfast. And then there's Yumeno, picking at her bread with a butter knife, and no butter on it. Damn. Momota wonders how she even got out of bed this morning.  
  
Next thing he knows, he's standing right by her.  
  
"You should eat that," he tells Yumeno, with what he hopes is an encouraging smile. "Breakfast gives you energy for the day so it's super important."  
  
In response Yumeno looks at him with her typical pout, eyes so dead they might as well be clouded with potassium. With a sigh, Momota kneels down beside her.  
  
"Look, I know it's tough. Chabashira was —  _still is_  important to you. But it's like I said to Shuuichi, when you're feeling down, there's a right and wrong way to do it. So go visit her research lab. Yonaga's too." Momota stares her dead in the eye. "Because honouring their memory is the least you can do as their friend."  
  
"I know, but..." Yumeno shakes her head. "I'm not that sort of person. Every time I try, I run out of mana... It makes it too hard..."  
  
"It's supposed to be," Momota points out. "But that's the measure of your dedication. If you limit yourself to that sort of thinking, then you won't be able to live positively!" Momota claps her lightly on the back. "I don't know much about mana this, mana that, but if you remember their smiles, then I'm sure you'll have all the mana in the world."  
  
He sees her fists clench on the table. It's mesmerising, watching a person steel their resolve.  
  
"Okay," Yumeno says, gravity in her words. "Tenko and Angie's smiles... I'll bring them with me everywhere."  
  
Momota's grin splits his face.  
  
He spends his breakfast with her and Harumaki, idly chatting the time away. He and occasionally Yumeno, to his delight, are the only lively ones in the hall. It doesn't take long for Ouma to finally saunter in, an cheerful "Good morning!" slipping from his mouth, as well as a jab on Kiibo's robot manliness, or something. Momota rises from his seat.  
  
"Hey Ouma, can I talk with you for a sec?"  
  
The Supreme Leader pouts. "Aw, I thought you'd given up earlier this morning! You're really annoying, Momota-chan."  
  
"Wha—you were in your room the  _whole time_?!" Momota splutters. "I was standing in front for like five minutes!"  
  
"Nishishi~! You should've learnt how to lockpick like me. Then maybe you'd have one useful skill."  
  
"Don't be shitty! Come on, it'll only take a sec!"  
  
"Fine," Ouma relents. He starts following Momota out of the hall when, "Oh! Your second's up! Okay~, where's the butter?"  
  
"For fuck's sake—"  
  
"Ah," a familiar voice pipes up from the doorway. "Good morning, everyone."  
  
Momota turns to see Shuuichi exchange greetings with the others. "Yo!" he calls out, noticing the Detective's discomfort. "What's wrong, Shuuichi? Aren't you gonna eat?"  
  
"If you don't, Gonta's gonna eat you~!"  
  
What the fuck, Ouma.  
  
"By the way," Momota suddenly realises, "what's up with Gonta? I haven't seen him."  
  
Shuuichi frowns. "He's not here yet?"  
  
"I'm sure he's just sleeping," Kiibo suggests. Iruma sighs next to him.  
  
Harumaki doesn't say anything, which isn't anything new. Momota likes to think it's because there's nothing left for her to say, or it's so obvious it doesn't need to be said. And really, you'd have to be dense not to notice the atmosphere right now.  
  
But there's no use sulking, and Momota feels a twinkle of pride seeing Yumeno lecture Shuuichi and Iruma about their energy, even if she's out of breath by the end of it. It sure raises everyone's mood, anyhow.  
  
Until Ouma opens his mouth. "That's right! We have to do our best to be energetic! The game's just getting started!"  
  
"Game?" Shuuichi says.  
  
Goddamnit. Momota scoffs. "How can you still talk like that? You were like this even last night, too..."  
  
Then the doors open and Gonta walks in, thank  _God_. Apparently he found more letters on that stone in the grass. To be honest, Momota completely forgot about that. It must've been the second trial when the Entomologist last brought it up.  
  
... Huh.  
  
What kind of person does that as a prank?

 

 

* * *

 

"Come back here!"  
  
"Nishishi~!"  
  
Okay, he severely underestimated how fast Ouma could be. Momota rounds the corner just in time to see the Supreme Leader duck into... oh,  _hell_ no!  
  
"Seriously?" Momota skids to a stop in front of the girls' bathroom. "The nerve of this guy..." After making sure none of the girls are around, Momota bursts inside.  
  
"Oh, you really went in!" Ouma tuts. "How ungentlemanly. Gonta would be disappointed in you~"  
  
"You're the one who went in in the first place!"  
  
"B-But you were chasing me! I had no choice!"  
  
Momota throws his hands up. "You have got to be  _the most_  fucking annoying person that I've ever met. Come on, just give me the keycard and I'll leave!"  
  
Ouma cocks his head. "But then wouldn't  _you_  be the suspicious one?"  
  
"That's not the point," Momota huffs. "'Sides, it's not like I'm gonna kill anyone."  
  
Ouma crosses his arms and leans on a sink, a finger perched on his lips in a menacing gesture. "That's what everybody says. They think killing is something bad, when really it's just a normal part of life." He smiles. "It's survival of the fittest, right? Even Gonta knows that big bugs will eat the smaller bugs."  
  
"Well, I trust him him more than you."  
  
"Ah! So you do trust me!"  
  
"Not with the keycard, considering the shit you pulled with the motive videos." That had been a fucking disaster. Though in hindsight, it probably wouldn't have stopped Toujou from murdering anyone since she got hers to begin with.  _And_  they probably would've never found out about Harumaki's true Talent if Ouma hadn't spilled the beans.  
  
... Huh.  
  
"Geez, Momota-chan," and Ouma goes on to say all the above, totally painting himself as some kind of victim. And, okay. Momota knows that Ouma is annoying and obnoxious and a prankster through and through, but he knows the guy won't. Like. Kill someone for reals.  
  
_Aren't we the worse at keeping promises?_  
  
"Shut up," Momota growls, interrupting Ouma mid-sentence. "You can't just do shit on your own and expect everybody to go along with it. Then nobody would trust you."  
  
Ouma grins. "But  _you_  trust me."  
  
"I trust you to not mean all the bullshit you say. I  _don't_  trust you to make my food for me every morning."  
  
"Don't worry, Momota-chan, I'd never poison you! I mean," Ouma narrows his eyes, "your body is already poisoned."  
  
Momota finds himself at a loss for words.  
  
Then Ouma bounces from laughter.  
  
"Nishishi~! Just kidding! I got you good, didn't I?" Momota clenches his fist. "Hey now, don't make such a scary face! Aw, I guess you don't trust me anymore."  
  
No, look. Momota  _does_  trust him. It's just — fuck.  
  
It's  _hard_  to get a read on Ouma. He's not Shuuichi, whose doubt Momota can smell from a mile away, or Harumaki, whose walls he knows need chipping. Momota can sense Shirogane's uncertainty, Gonta's frustrations, Iruma's helplessness and Kiibo's... uh... robo-rationality. But he can't pinpoint anything on Ouma, who vacillates between being chipper and terrifying on a daily basis.  
  
Maybe he's deluding himself. Maybe Ouma really  _is_  a homicidal piece of shit. Which makes his decision to confront him last night all the more bewildering.  
  
But speaking of last night--  
  
"Hey, I still gotta tell you my plan."  
  
Ouma sighs. "You really won't stop bothering me, huh? I told you, I don't want to stop this game. I want to win just like any player."  
  
"Yeah, no," Momota dismisses with a wave, "too bad. The great Momota Kaito doesn't go back on his word, especially when the universe is at stake!"  
  
"Eh..."  
  
"O-Oi, don't run off on me now! If you listen, I'll let you keep the keycard! Not like it'll mean much if we pull this off."  
  
"But why do you have to involve me?" Ouma sniffles. "Why don't you go harass everybody else?"  
  
"I ain't harassing," Momota says, patiently, like a fucking preschool teacher, "and if I can't even work with you, then how am I gonna get you out with us?" He bumps his fists. "Right! So just think of this as a teamwork building exercise!"  
  
"Aw," Ouma pouts.  
  
"Nah, it's gonna be cool." And as a precaution, Momota barricades the door with his body, something that doesn't go unnoticed by an unimpressed Ouma. "Okay, here's the deal. You know how we can't hurt Monokuma? Well," he grins, "the rules don't say anything about the Monocubs."  
  
He expects something encouraging, like surprise or awe. Maybe even applause. But it's Ouma, so of course he's unimpressed. But hey, it's not like--  
  
"I already knew that," Ouma says.  
  
Wait.  
  
_What_?!  
  
"Then why didn't you say something?! We could've gotten rid of them days ago!"  
  
"Because it's obvious they've got spares, no matter what Monokuma says. He can't afford to have his precious Exisals be unmanned even for a second."  
  
Momota splutters.  
  
"Face it, Momota-chan. You're not smart! You're just boring like the rest of them." Ouma pauses. "Well, maybe except for Saihara-chan."  
  
"O-Oi! Just 'cause I didn't figure it out before you doesn't mean I ain't smart! It's the same thing as you being less trustworthy than the others." Momota jabs a finger at him. "And we can still get rid of them! We just need to gain control of the Exisals and break our way outta here before the spares come!"  
  
Annoyingly, Ouma picks his nails. "Just as I thought. Momota-chan is all brawn. Bo~oring!"  
  
Feeling his face heat up, Momota tries to save face.  
  
"T-Then what about—"  
  
"Won't work," Ouma interrupts.  
  
Aargh! "Fine, then what do  _you_  suggest?!"  
  
When Ouma saunters over to him, head inclined with a too-wide smile and eyes burning like coals, Momota is reminded of how intimidating the smaller boy can be.  
  
"Nothing," is Ouma's reply, as Momota's hand finds the doorknob. "It's impossible to escape this school. The rules are impossible to break. Monokuma controls everything. The mastermind knows everything.  
  
"So there's no point, right?" His sudden cheer surprises the Astronaut. "I mean, if there's no escape, then we should all just play this game and survive to become one of the final two players! Or... you can always just kill someone." Ouma's smile cuts his face. "Especially if you're in a big hurry to go to space."  
  
Momota suppresses a single, damning thought and bares his teeth.  
  
"You're bullshitting."  
  
"Oh, right. It's not like you have the brains to break everyone out, much less get away with a murder~"  
  
He should just leave.  
  
He should.  
  
"I might not be as smart as you," Momota says, lowly, because he's a stubborn idiot, "but at least I'm doing something. Because  _someone_  has to."  
  
There—like a star--  
  
Ouma giggles.  
  
—flickering out of existence.  
  
"Trust Momota-chan to sound reliable!"  
  
The Astronaut blinks. Shit, what  _was_  that--  
  
He feels his hand click — or is that the knob? Then the door opens and Momota stumbles forwards; behind him, Iruma shoves herself inside, face going slack with surprise upon seeing her two, very male, classmates.  
  
"Why the  _fuck_  are you shits in here?!"  
  
"Aw," Ouma pouts as Momota goes to cover his ears.  
  
"N-No way!" the Inventor cries out, hands gripping her shoulders. "Were you virgins waiting to perv on my gorgeous body?! That's so forward...!"  
  
"Momota-chan  _is_  very forward," Ouma supplies, and it's at that point that Momota steps in.  
  
"We weren't waiting for anybody, okay? Me and Ouma are just having a private meeting."  
  
Iruma appraises the both of them. Then she blushes, her mouth suddenly watering. "Oh, so it's  _that_ , is it? I'm sorry I interrupted you guys... but ya know..." she adds, fiddling with a strand of her peach hair, "... you can pick up where ya left off."  
  
Momota stares. "Iruma... what the hell are you talking about?"  
  
"Something disgusting, just like the pig she is," Ouma snipes.  
  
"Ee~ek! P-Pig?!"  
  
"Yes, you." Ouma huffs. "But even evil leaders like me still need to talk to pigs like you. So shoo, Momota-chan."  
  
"Wha— why  _me_?!"  
  
"Because you're annoying."  
  
" _You're_  the annoying one!"  
  
Ouma wails. "Momota-chan, please! You're too forceful! I don't want to hang out anymore!"  
  
"Fine! If you're gonna be that way then—" and Momota doesn't finish his sentence because the  _knot_  is back and he really,  _really_  needs to sit down.  
  
And Iruma needs to stop fucking drooling.  
  
"Forceful, huh? That's pretty kinky~"  
  
Okay, Momota understood  _that._  
  
"Yeah, no, I'm leaving," he announces, pointedly glaring at Ouma. "I'm gonna rethink my plan, okay? You better think of something too! I'll come by tonight so don't ignore me!"  
  
"That's harassment, Momota-chan!"  
  
Iruma sniggers. "Ha~ah? You guys are having another private meeting~?"  
  
"Shut up!" Momota shouts, scaring the Inventor into the far corner of the bathroom.

 

 

* * *

 

In hindsight, he shouldn't have shouted at her. Momota nearly caved back in the girls' bathroom and he'll be damned before he lets the others see him hack up blood. It's nothing they have to worry about. At least for now. He knows Harumaki won't take it well, and would probably strap him to a hospital bed until he gets better. But Shuuichi would no doubt investigate for his boss' health!  
  
Or sulk. Eh, he'll give him the benefit of the doubt.  
  
Momota has the Remembering Light in his hands when the tiles grate and something black, metallic and tubby appears in his periphery. Needless to say he drops the damn light, because  _holy shit_ \--  
  
"I see you found it! You sure are one lucky guy!"  
  
Momota snarls. "So you finally show your face, huh?"  
  
Monokuma paws his eternal grin. "I don't know what you mean by that. Are you sure you didn't hit your head somewhere?" He sighs. "Kids these days are so reckless. But I guess if that weren't the case, then all these wonderful killings wouldn't happen. Isn't that the true joy of youth?"  
  
"What do you  _want_?"  
  
If possible, Monokuma grins wider. "What makes you think I want anything?"  
  
"You always want something," Momota bites back. "You always want us to kill each other and be your fucking entertainment."  
  
"I guess that's true. But that's not why I'm here. You called me earlier, didn't you?"  
  
"Last night? Yeah, you're  _right_  on time."  
  
"That's good! Alright, what did you want to ask me? And make it worth my time!" Monokuma unsheathes his claws. "It's not everyday I cater to young people's whims!"  
  
"You don't fucking say," Momota scoffs, glancing around the fourth floor stairs. "I wanna ask you somewhere more private, though."  
  
"Another one of your whims..." The bear's face darkens. "Fine! But first let me get my darling children to clean up the mess you made."  
  
Aw, shit! Momota flinches when he sees shards of glass decorate the floor.  
  
"Upupupu~! It's like I said, youth are reckless!" Monokuma guffaws. "Looks like you won't be getting your memories this time again!"  
  
"W-Wait! Isn't there another Light you can give me?"  
  
"Nope! Nada! That's the only one you'll get!"  
  
"Can't you fix it?!"  
  
Irritated, Monokuma raises his paws. "Who do you think I am, a miracle maker?! Even that's too whimsical for a cute bear like me!"  
  
"But I can't say I broke it!" Momota exclaims, and then--  
  
\-- _oh_.  
  
"Hold up! I can ask Iruma!" Fucking genius! Momota beckons to the bear. "Yo, I need a raincheck for our chat."  
  
"Seriously? How ungrateful!"  
  
"Shut up, you've done worser things to us!" Gingerly, Momota picks up the cumbersome Light, taking care not to step on the shards. "Now tell me where Iruma is."  
  
Monokuma tuts. "Why should I?"  
  
"Don't fuck around!"  
  
"My, kids really are the worse. I'm so glad my children are cute and obedient, wherever they are!"  
  
In the end Momota learns that Iruma is at her study center. (Probably making sex toys, or a giant dick extension for Kiibo. Who knows.) With the Light in his hands and Monokuma disappearing behind him, Momota sets off.  
  
The Inventor's study center is pretty fucking scary. For one, there's a giant chainsaw that hangs in plain sight, like a middle finger... and the operating table doesn't exactly make that metaphor any better. There are bottles strewn about like its the aftermath of some alchemist sorority party, or a BDSM bar fight. It smells of oil, solder, and something tangy that Momota hopes isn't radiation.  
  
Iruma is fiddling around with something that Momota doesn't even want to think about. So he strides over to her, shoves the Remembering Light under her face and says, "I need you to fix this."  
  
Iruma shoves the device away. "Hah?! What makes ya think a beautiful genius like me will help a flower-brained idiot like you?!"  
  
Oh for fuck's  _sake_. "Stop calling me that, dammit! And take at look, why don't you? It's the Remembering Light."  
  
That manages to catch Iruma's attention, but all in the wrong ways. "What,  _that_? What's that got to do with me? Did your private session with shota boy dumb down your common sense?!"  
  
"Shut up, you've got it all wrong! Ugh, here!" Momota angles the glass towards her. "I broke the lens 'cause Monokuma scared the shit outta me. I need you to fix it so we can get our memories of the outside world."  
  
"Tch! Come back when your post-sex high wears off! I'm fucking busy here!"  
  
Momota growls. Sure, he's never had the best relationship with Iruma, but he's always considered it to be better than his and Ouma's.  _Now,_  he's not sure.  
  
At least he has one surefire way to get her cooperation.  
  
After multiple curse words and a slight increase in volume, Iruma finally agrees to fix the Light. "Even shota boy isn't this mean to me," she whimpers, clutching the device like it's a teddy bear.   
  
Momota huffs. "Can you just  _start_  already?"  
  
Instantly, Iruma's demeanor shifts. "Shut up, weed man! Don't rush me! I like to take things slow, ya know? Not that an amateur like you would know! Hyahahahaha!" Spittle flies from her mouth as she inspects the Light. "Now! Before I fix this, I gotta make sure it's broken!"  
  
"The hell you talking about? Of course it is!"  
  
"Don't question my genius! You said you broke the lens, right?" Iruma scowls. "Then all I gotta do is replace it like it's a used condom! If the lamp's intact, which it fucking is, then it isn't really broken!"  
  
Momota blinks. "Wait, so it still works?"  
  
Iruma cackles. "Only one way to find out!  
  
"H-Hold up—!"  
  
Without preamble, Iruma flips the switch.  
  
  
Darkness descends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *puts on sunglasses* Aight let's do this.
> 
> (Props to juicedup14 and shi-kuya for their translation and transcription of Chapter 4.)


	3. A New World Outlook

Hellfire. A thousand flaming boulders hurtling towards cities, towns, provinces and homes, all across the globe. Seven billion turned five billion, a projected loss of two million more across a span of two weeks. A kaleidoscope of death and destruction. The ground falls under Momota's feet.  
  
He travels across the memories. Images of people and flyers flock to his senses and orient him to a certain train of thought. Momota rides it unwillingly, faced with a film roll of the past sweeping past his vision like parallaxing trees.  _The world is perishing. Humanity Should Fall To Hell._  Riots and rumours and crime rates skyrocket like skyscrapers--  
  
_Gopher Plan_ , a voice whispers in his ear.  
  
The train speeds up.  
  
_To protect humanity from the meteors, multiple countries worked together and came up with this plan._  
  
But this plan failed. And so, the wishes of humanity would be nothing more than false hope.  
  
Momota looks behind him.  
  
A single red eye flutters open.  
  
Then the train derails and his body's thrown overboard and the seas cushion him with their coldness. And as he sinks, Momota wonders if space is really as ruthless as the memories would have him believe.

 

 

* * *

 

He resurfaces with the shittiest headache.  
  
Momota groans from where he stands. His legs feel like lead and his chest contracts in painful bursts, as if something horrible wants to hatch from his slick, diseased body. Not far away, Iruma shudders, her arms clasping each other.  
  
"Ggh... T-That's crazy... What kind of sick joke is this...?!"  
  
"Humanity... Should Fall To Hell?" Momota mutters, prompting Iruma to rise from her seat.  
  
"S-Shut up! If there's a Hell, it's this fucking place! Being locked up with you crazy, shitty, stupid assholes and forced into a killing game!"  
  
"The meteors," Momota says, the inside of his mouth turning dry. "Did they really fall on the world...?!"  
  
"T-That's what I saw," Iruma whimpers, "but the way it happened... It's like being drunk off your ass and waking up the next morning wondering if you really had sex with someone, and then," she ducks her head, "ya get this fucking hangover...!"  
  
Momota doesn't know whether to be impressed at her analogy or disgusted by it.  
  
"It didn't feel real," the Inventor continues. "But it is, isn't it? If that's the case, then why these memories?! What the  _hell_  happened to the outside world?!"  
  
"Y-You don't think," Momota starts, eyes landing on the Remembering Light, "me breaking it probably did something?"  
  
"I told you, the lens aren't the problem! If the lamp's intact then it'll work fine. And it did!" Iruma whines. "By showing us a shitshow!"  
  
"But it's like you said! It didn't  _feel_  real!" Momota barks. "I saw everything you saw, too. The meteors and the people and the weird flyers. But I didn't feel —  _there_. I felt like I was watching everything from a TV screen." He furrows his brows. "Or everything was on TV. I don't know, okay?! It's freaking me out too!"  
  
By logic, he should believe it. But Momota can't shake off the nagging thought in his brain telling him it's wrong. And it is — but is it wrong enough to believe in? It'd been the same thing with that memory of their group funeral. Momota knows that these memories are their clues to the outside world, but the outside so far sounds like a foreign country from a fairy tale book. Seriously, the  _end_  of the world? How's he going to believe something so ridiculous?!  
  
As he slumps into one of the plush, pink seats, Iruma hesitantly picks up the Light.  
  
"You know... I never really had a chance to inspect one of these," she says, turning it over. "I always wondered what kind of technology Monokuma used to make it. A light that makes people remember..? I mean... it's worth trying out..."  
  
Momota shakes his head. "Look, we gotta show the others. They probably wouldn't believe us otherwise." He grimaces. "Still need the lens fixed, though. I don't want them to know I broke it."  
  
"T-Too bad! I already checked it for ya and it worked!" Iruma towers over him with a finger jabbed at the door. "Now fuck off! I've got stuff to think about... and I can't work with idiots like you distracting me!"  
  
"No way! Harumaki will get angry if I turn up with  _that!_ " Momota gestures to the broken lens. "And Ouma will be annoying as  _fuck_  if he finds out."  
  
Iruma cackles. "Well, tell your harem to settle for second-best! They ended up with you, didn't they?"  
  
"Don't make me shout at you!"  
  
"S-Shut up! Nobody tells me what to do!"  
  
Momota makes a frustrated noise. "Iruma,  _come on_. It'll only take a sec! In and out, yeah?"  
  
"Y-Yeah..." A blush blooms on the Inventor's face. "It doesn't have to be that fast... I can go nice and slow, just for you..."  
  
Oh my  _God_. "J-Just fucking fix the lens already!"  
  
"Ee~ek! O-Okay, I'll do it!"

 

 

* * *

 

The stairs to the fifth floor are as cold as marble. Or piano keys. Momota winces from where he lies down because shit, why did he think that?  
  
He feels bad for Akamatsu. For everybody else who died, really. It’s even worse knowing that the same fate looms over his head, threatening to take away his dream.  
  
Momota reaches out a hand. Beyond, the ceiling is dark, domed and foreboding, like a hollow eye socket. The dark side of the moon. Momota shuts his eyes and thinks of all the alien documentaries he watched — the first moon landing — his collection of decorative plants — and he finds his mood somewhat lifted.  
  
He gets to his feet with a grin. Seriously, what was he so worried for? The stars are his for the taking! After all, he’s famous in space!  
  
(Momota blithely ignores the pang in his chest that tells him to  _hurry it up_ , because time is running out and he still hasn't got a new plan to present to Ouma.)  
  
With the newly-repaired Remembering Light tucked under his arm, the Astronaut climbs up the steps. He doesn’t get to marvel at the fifth floor’s gothic architecture though, when a door bursts open and Shirogane pops out.   
  
"Oh, Momota-kun!" she squeals (wait,  _what_ —) "Your timing is  _perfect_! Nick can always use more sidekicks!"  
  
"Huh?" Momota eloquently says, as Shirogane pulls him into what appears to be... a Hollywood set. Holy  _shit_. Must be Shirogane's study center, judging from the mannequins and the clothes strewn about.  
  
Oh shit, those aren't mannequins.  
  
Momota tries to stifle a laugh and fails.  
  
"Stop it," Harumaki warns, looking ridiculous in a silver wig and... hey, stockings.  
  
"OW!" Momota yelps as the Assassin whips him.  
  
"Sorry!" Shirogane smiles sheepishly. "I promised Harukawa-san that she could whip anybody who stared at her for too long. It's the price I'm willing to play for this photoshoot!"  
  
"I think it's rather the price  _we'll_  have to pay," Shuuichi says amusedly, dressed up in a too-blue suit and and spiky wig that rivals Momota's own. At least it's not as bad as Kiibo's — seriously, what is up with that  _face mask_?  
  
"That doesn't matter," Shirogane dismisses. "What matters is that we have our Larry Butz!"  
  
"Huh?" Momota eloquently says.  
  
"He's Nick's best friend, which works out since you and Saihara-kun are best friends!" Shirogane's lips form an 'o'. "Ah! Have you played Ace Attorney, Momota-kun?"  
  
"Uh, no?"  
  
"It's a VN adventure video game where a defense attorney, Phoenix Wright," Shirogane gestures to Shuuichi, "investigates cases and defends his clients in court. There's Franziska Von Karma, who Harukawa-san is graciously cosplaying as, Detective Gumshoe cosplayed by Gonta-kun, and Godot cosplayed by Kiibo-kun!"  
  
"I quite like this visor," Kiibo says, stiffly clutching a coffee cup with one hand. Gonta nods in his big green coat and tied up hair, chirping, "Gonta likes his character! Apparently he likes bugs, too!"  
  
"Ye~ep, that's right! And last but not least, Yumeno-san as Maya, Nick's friend!" Yumeno waves with a lazy smile, looking odd without her witch's hat. "Momota-kun, you'll be Larry Butz. You've got a hairstyle similar to his, I could just dye it orange!"  
  
"Woah, wait," Momota raises his hand, "I'm not taking part in this!"  
  
Shirogane cups her cheek with a hand. "Well, I expected as much. But don't worry, Momota-kun. Cosplaying is fun! And I don't give up so easily!"  
  
Momota backs away. "Yeah, but, I don't want my hair to be orange! And why the hell does my guy have to be called Butz?!"  
  
At that point, Harumaki approaches him. "That's a Remembering Light, isn't it?" she says, fixated on the device.  
  
Momota seizes the chance. "Right! I found it after I gave up chasing Ouma. Me and Iruma did, actually, and, uh, we accidentally watched it by ourselves."  
  
Harumaki narrows her eyes. "Accidentally?"  
  
"Yeah, so we already know what's in it. I'd tell you, but it'd be better if you saw for yourselves."  
  
Shuuichi blinks. "You're not going to watch it with us?"  
  
"Nah. I don't want to go through something that intense again." Momota gives the Light to Shirogane. "Here, you guys look at it. I'm gonna go find Ouma."  
  
The Cosplayer frowns. "Shouldn't we wait for him?"  
  
"Eh, you might as well use it. We can just give it to him afterwards and let him go away without bothering us with cryptic shit."  
  
Shuuichi awkwardly chuckles. "That is something that Ouma-kun does. But I'm worried... We've hardly ever used the Remembering Light separately..."  
  
"Never mind that," Harumaki says, lips set into a firm line. "Why do you want to look for Ouma? Is it because of the motive keycard?"  
  
"C-Course! And my kiseru!" Momota hastily adds. "Bastard hasn't given it back yet!"  
  
"That's for smoking kizami, right?" Shirogane tilts her head. "I didn't know you were the type, Momota-kun."  
  
Kiibo frantically raises a finger. "Excuse me, but smoking is  _not_  good for your health!"  
  
Gonta gasps. "Are you unhealthy, Momota-kun?! Do you need to lie down?!"  
  
"N-No, I'm fine!"  
  
"Are you sure?! Please tell Gonta if you're feeling bad!"  
  
"I'm fine, Gonta, really!" Momota ignores the pang in his chest and hurries to leave. "Just use the Remembering Light while I get Ouma to 'fess up about the keycard."  
  
"Careful," Yumeno says with furrowed brows. "He's very good at hide 'n' seek. I tried using my magic but I couldn't find him anywhere."  
  
Momota gives her a thumbs up. "Don't worry! I'm the great Momota Kaito, famous in space exploration! A guy like Ouma won't be enough of a challenge for me!"  
  
"Alright, Momota-kun! But I still want you to cosplay later~!"

 

 

* * *

 

 After asking the weird Monocub duo where Ouma is, Momota walks into Iruma's study center for the second time that day. He finds the Supreme Leader lounging on one of the chairs, Iruma nowhere in sight.  
  
"Geez, Momota-chan  _sure_  loves stalking me."  
  
"What's that?" Momota asks, pointing to the device the shorter boy holds: some pink supersized hammer with glowy lights.  
  
"Hm? Nothing that your idiotic brain needs to know~" Ouma waves a hand. "Speaking of which, do you have another plan yet? I feel like being amused today."  
  
"Not yet, but only 'cause I found the Remembering Light and all." Momota waves a hand. "I left it with Shuuichi and the others, though. I figured you can join them after you tell me where the keycard is."  
  
"Well, if you really need know, I couldn't use the keycard after all. No matter how much I looked, I couldn't find the place where it could be used." Smiling, Ouma lightly swings the hammer. "So you don't have to be worried about me at all!"  
  
Momota gives him a dubious look. "I ain't buying that. Where's the keycard? You have it on you?"  
  
"Why the questions, Momota-chan?" Ouma gasps, eyes sparkling with mirth. "Could it be? Do you want to use it to find the motive and kill someone?"  
  
"Like  _hell_  I do! Why do you keep saying that?!"  
  
"'Cause you're desperate to get out."  
  
"I want to get  _everyone_  out. Are you stupid or something?"  
  
"Nishishi~! No, but I'm a liar." Ouma's grin glistens. "And so are you."  
  
Momota bares his teeth. "Why don't you get off that high horse of yours and answer the question? Do you have the keycard with you or not?"  
  
"Aw, but if I answer then you'll take it away from me."  
  
"No, I won't," Momota growls. "I told you, if you listened to my plan then I'd let you keep it. I just wanna make sure you still had it."  
  
"Wow. You're very trusting, aren't you?"  
  
"Feh! I only believe in the people I want to believe in."  
  
The air around Ouma suddenly changes and Momota, completely unprepared, can only shudder at the other's intense expression.  
  
"Oh? Then do you believe in  _me_?"  
  
_Duh_ , Momota wants to say, but something holds him back. Something he's been fighting against since the start of the killing game. Looking at Ouma, Momota wonders what believing in someone actually means if  _doubt_  can cripple even the slightest of sureties.  
  
But in the end, if there's the slightest bit of hope... then he'll latch onto it. It's just the way he rolls.  
  
So he says yes.  
  
"What a boring answer," Ouma says, looking highly unimpressed. Momota snorts.  
  
"At least I didn't lie."  
  
_There_  — that same glint Ouma had in his eyes, back in the girls' bathroom, screaming an emotion Momota can't place. He doesn't know yet what Ouma's hiding, but he isn't going to give up any time soon. After all, if he managed to convince Harumaki, there's no reason why he can't do the same to Ouma.  
  
Provided that Momota can keep a cool head first.  
  
"Anyways, since we got time, why don't we discuss plans? And I know what you're gonna say—" Momota holds out his hands, "—but humour me, will you? Let's do it like this. I come up with an awesome idea, you tell me if it'll work or not  _without_  insulting my intelligence. Deal?"  
  
To his delight, Ouma actually considers this. "Huh, a chance to show how dumb Momota-chan is? Okay, count me in~!"  
  
Better than nothing, Momota supposes. "Great! Before we start, show me the keycard."  
  
Ouma pouts. "So persistent. But it's not like I have a use for it anymore. Here, you can have it!" With a flick of the wrist, he tosses the keycard to Momota. "Maybe you'll have more luck on where to use it!"  
  
Momota pockets his prize with a scoff. "As if! I'm tossing this into the toilet the next time I gotta go. Oh yeah, one other thing," he adds, prompting the other to whine, "why the hell isn't Iruma here to supervise you?"  
  
"How am I supposed to know where the pig is at all times? And I don't need to be supervised, I'm a big boy!"  
  
Momota rolls his eyes. "Whatever, let's start."  
  
They spend the next few minutes going through each one of his (ridiculous) plans, from finding the factory that makes Monokuma's spares and burning it down, to tricking the remaining Monocubs to blow up the outside wall with their Exisals. All of which Ouma gleefully vetoes.  
  
"What if," Momota says, scrabbling for anything by this point, "we make a deal with Monokuma?"  
  
Ouma looks up. "Hm?"  
  
"I'd rather beat that bastard up, but that's against the rules, so," Momota strokes his goatee. "Why not a deal? Like... for each day someone isn't murdered, he deactivates one of those annoying traps in the underground challenge."  
  
"That's a big improvement from your other plans, Momota-chan! Too bad it won't work."  
  
"Ugh, why  _not_?"  
  
"Because Monokuma would never agree to something as nice as that. It's much better to bribe him with something more... drastic." Ouma smiles. "Like your life~"  
  
Momota doesn't know how to reply to that without punching him, so he persists instead. "How're we to know if we don't ask? Hey, Monokuma! Come out and talk!"  
  
Suddenly, the doors open — but it's not Monokuma who enters.  
  
"Shit! Now you're doing it in my territory, too?!"  
  
"Yeah, no, I'm leaving," Momota announces, getting to his feet.  
  
Iruma squeaks. "W-Wait! I gotta tell ya something about earlier! But not with shota boy around!" She glares behind him.  
  
Ouma gasps. "Eh? The pig doesn't want me in her pig sty?"  
  
"W-Who are ya calling a pig?! I'm Iruma Miu, the gorgeous, genius inventor!"  
  
Momota feels his headache returning. "Shut up, who cares about that? What do you wanna talk to me about?"  
  
Iruma cowers with a poorly-constructed scowl. "That fucking Remembering Light, you stupid weed man! I think I know why it's so weird!"  
  
"Oh shit, I forgot!" Momota exclaims, whipping over to Ouma. "You still gotta use the Remembering Light! Uh, I don't know where it is right now, but if you want I can just tell you the gist of it."  
  
"Huh?" Ouma cocks his head. "You've already used it?"  
  
"Yeah, Mr. Clumsy Ass here dropped it, so I fixed it up and we watched it for a test run!"  
  
Momota squawks. "He doesn't need to know  _that_!" But it's too late; Ouma's already sporting that asshole look that makes Momota want to stuff a sock in his mouth.  
  
"Momota-chan broke it? I'm not surprised. After all," the Supreme Leader places a hand on his chest, "he always breaks my heart."  
  
The Astronaut rolls his eyes. "Your heart must be real fucking fragile," he says, somewhat relieved Ouma didn't make fun of his intelligence. Because he really  _is_  smart! Just not in detective shit, or escaping hellish prison schools.  
  
"Okay, not to ruin the sexual tension here," Iruma huffs, glaring at Ouma, "but can you  _scram_  already? This is top secret shit between me and this flower brain."  
  
"But I wanna hear about the outside world!"  
  
Momota sighs. "Just let him stay. There's no point trying to kick him out."  
  
Ouma beams. "Yeah, what the flower brain said!"  
  
Iruma clenches her hands. "I-I don't care if you're whipped! I don't want him here!"  
  
"Oi, I know he's annoying," Momota says,  _not_  that he's whipped or anything, "but I'll punch some sense into him if he says anything stupid."  
  
"No! My heart won't be able to take it~!"  
  
Momota watches as Iruma appraises the both of them, sweat on her brow and a wobble to her lip. He narrows his eyes. "Iruma, what's the big deal? Do you really hate him that much?"  
  
"Yep!" Ouma giggles, "she really—"  
  
"Shut the fuck up, I didn't ask you."  
  
Iruma's practically  _radiating_  anxiety when Momota approaches her. He stares her dead in the eye, using all of his height to command her attention. "What're you afraid of?" he says lowly. "Ouma? Is it 'cause he's in your study center, touching your shit?"  
  
Ouma sobs. "But this is mine."  
  
"Shut up!"  
  
In that split second, Iruma turns on her heel. "I-I gotta go!" she squeaks, storming out of the room before Momota can catch her. The slam of the doors is deafening.  
  
"Aw, Momota-chan scared her away."  
  
Momota scowls at him. "Why are things so fucking complicated with you?"  
  
Ouma sniffles. "Because people hate me for lying all the time, even though everything I say is true."  
  
"That doesn't even make any sense."  
  
"It doesn't? You're just dumb then~"  
  
"Whatever," Momota mutters, striding towards the door. "I gotta get ready for training anyway. I'll talk to you tomorrow."  
  
"Huh? Didn't you say you'd come by my room tonight?"  
  
"I've had enough of your face for today." As if to mock himself, Momota glances back at him. "You should talk with Iruma. Whatever's got her upset clearly has something to do with you. And if I'm gonna believe in you from now on, you gotta show me you aren't a complete piece of shit."  
  
Ouma pouts. "Now I have to prove myself to you? Is this what you're making Saihara-chan do? I feel really bad for him now."  
  
"Don't be! Shuuichi's already proving himself to be an awesome assistant so far! In fact..." Momota considers Ouma for a moment before shaking his head. "Nah, never mind. You ain't ready."  
  
"Ready for what? Momota-chan?" The doors shut behind him. " _Don't overexert yourself, okay~?_ "

 

 

* * *

 

It's just his luck that nobody's in the kitchen around this time. Deftly, eyes trained on the entrance, Momota pops an aspirin tablet into his mouth and downs it with milk. His choking gulps echo throughout the room, and with a muted growl, he dumps the cup into the sink with a bit too much force.  
  
His stomach whining in protest, Momota grips the kitchen counter and tries to think about asteroids, billions of them, wandering aimlessly in the universe. Like dust motes in a toolshed. And then he remembers the meteors — the end of the world — and suddenly his anger comes back tenfold.  
  
It's a cool evening when Momota meets up with them in the courtyard.  
  
"Hey, you guys are here already," he greets with a pleased grin.  
  
Shuuichi nods. "It feels like it's been a while since the three of us have been together."  
  
"It was because of that occult stuff, isn't it?" Harumaki says, prompting a squawk from Momota.  
  
"No it wasn't! Forget about that! A-Anyways, let's start!"  
  
"Before we do that, Momota-kun... I want to talk about the Remembering Light." Shuuichi furrows his brows. "Specifically the memories we saw. We never did get to get discuss it with you and Iruma-san. Oh, and er, Ouma-kun."  
  
Shit, he didn't even get to tell Ouma what was in the Light. "Nah, we can talk more about that tomorrow. Right now let's do some sit-ups!"  
  
After managing two, Momota settles on the grass and gazes at the expanse of stars, marred by the steel bars of the damned glass cage. Soon the breathy counting of his friends fades to the back of his mind as Momota loses himself in the sublimity, hands folded behind his head as if he has all the time in the world.  
  
"Wow," he wonders aloud. "When you look at it from here, space really is huge."  
  
Shuuichi huffs. "How about y-you stop talking... and d-do some sit-ups?!"  
  
He should, shouldn't he? That's a grand plan. A real fine idea.  
  
Momota can only cram one more in before the knot comes back. It's a weight on his torso that he can't ignore, so with light movements, he gets to his feet.  
  
"Just gonna go to the bathroom," he mutters, turning away without so much as a glance. He doesn't notice them stand, nor see the look they share watching him disappear slowly into the school building.  
  
When he finally reaches the boys' bathroom, Momota leans against the door for a solid minute, a hand to his heart and the other clutched firmly on the door handle. He steadies his breathing — hangs his head — and feels the blood tear through his throat like a bushfire. Momota coughs once. Twice. He dribbles pink on the way to the sink.  
  
Momota gargles the awful taste of blood and mucus out of his mouth with tap water and stares at his reflection, wondering if he took the aspirin wrong or if he didn't read the label right. Then he sees something behind him and he shrieks, instinct calculating the worst, before looking down and seeing that  _stupid fucking bear_.  
  
God, he hates Monokuma.  
  
"Go~od evening~! I see you're ready for our chat now!" Monokuma chuckles. "My my, I really couldn't have done this at a better time. Things will definitely get interesting!"  
  
"You've got a lot of nerve showing up," Momota growls.  
  
"Hey now, you asked for this. I don't tolerate disrespect as your headmaster, you know! Now! What did you want to ask me?"  
  
Momota grits his teeth. "It's pretty fucking obvious, isn't it? I'm sick, I'm dying, and I don't know what the fuck from. Or how I got to be this way! It's one of your sick jokes, isn't it?"  
  
"Pun intended!" Monokuma guffaws, looking not the least bit perturbed. "Sorry, I just  _had_  to do that."  
  
"Answer the fucking question!"  
  
"You kids are really demanding, huh? Well, if you're curious enough to be killed like a poor cat, then all I can say is that yep — you're dying! I can't tell you what  _from_  though, unless I put it on a Monokuma File."  
  
Momota glares. "If I  _die_ , you mean."  
  
"That's right! Upupupu~! Isn't that a tragic irony?" Monokuma paws his grin. "As for how you got sick, that's for you to find out! Luckily for you, you have everything you need to unlock the answer!"  
  
The fuck? Momota steps forward. "What are you talking about all of a sudden?"  
  
"Why, the keycard of course!"  
  
Momota blinks. "What?"  
  
"The motive keycard," Monokuma repeats. "If you decide to use it then you can find answers for your little affliction, free of charge! It's a win-win! A home runner!"  
  
"As if! Why don't you just tell me right now?!"  
  
Monokuma unsheathes his claws. "Hey, I've got a job to do! You either wanna use it or not, so pick an option!"  
  
"Course I won't do it! Are you stupid?!" Upon saying the last sentence, Momota claps a hand over his mouth to stifle the onslaught of blood. Monokuma beams.  
  
"Are you sure? Maybe you can cure it. Too bad there's not a Nurse this time 'round, though..." The bear suddenly freezes. "Wait a minute, did I even put an infirmary in this school?! I knew I was forgetting something!"  
  
By the sink, Momota spits out the last of the blood and snarls. "You're crazy if you think I'll use the keycard for my own benefit. But I ain't falling for it!" He looks straight at him. "We're all getting out of here one way or another!"  
  
"Upupupu~... That's what everybody says."  
  
"Get the fuck out," Momota barks.  
  
After Monokuma leaves, the Astronaut slams open a cubicle and stares down the toilet bowl, intent on flushing that damned keycard. He thinks of meteors and burning cities and spitting skies, and says to himself, "No wonder I'm fucking sick." Because that has to be it.  
  
It's only logical, ain't it?  
  
But as Momota reaches into his pocket, he remembers the other things too. Like the voice and the dialogue and the  _eye_ , red as a death flag, and the fact that  _it didn't feel real._  
  
Momota clenches his hand, expecting to feel cold plastic.  
  
He does not.  
  
  
His pocket's fucking empty.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is there actually fanart of the V3 cast as Ace Attorney characters? That'd be awesome. 
> 
> As always, thanks to juicedup and shi-kuya for their translation/transcription. It's helped a lot of us early birds who couldn't wait for the ENG dub x)


	4. Pioneering

He doesn't have it. He doesn't have the keycard. 

Momota flails around. He scans the floor, fiddles with the lint in his jacket — nothing. He must've have scoured every inch of the damn bathroom before clutching his spiky-ass hair in complete and utter panic.

Holy shit, he lost it.

"Holy shit, I lost it," Momota gasps to himself. The dreary, azure bathroom seems to echo his sentiments quite literally.  _You're fucked_ , it seems to whisper. Momota pats his pockets again and groans when he finds squat. 

He had  _one_  job and that was to flush the damn thing when he had the chance. So what? Did Monokuma steal it from him? Like an assassin bear? Was that it?! 

As soon as the word  _assassin_  hits his mind, Momota realises that he's supposed to be a healthy astronaut in training. And healthy astronauts don't spend their time cooped up in bathrooms.

Momota curses as he exits the school building, eyes constantly scanning the path he took on the way to the bathroom. He's so fixated on his search that he doesn't notice what's in her hand until the moment his eyes trail up to meet cold, red eyes.

"Oh," he says as Harumaki brandishes the keycard. "Uh... I can explain."

"When did you get this."

"Okay," Momota raises his hands, "Harumaki, I swear I got it just before nighttime. I was gonna flush it but I, uh."

"Dropped it," Shuuichi pipes up.

"W-What he said!"

The Assassin crosses her arms. "And Ouma just gave it to you willingly?"

Momota licks his lips and chooses his words carefully. "It took some convincing 'cause he's a little shit, but he said he couldn't find the place to use it for so," he shrugs, "he gave it up."

"That seems strange of him to do," Shuuichi says, finger perched under his chin. "Then again, Ouma-kun is a strange person..." He looks to Momota with a smile. "But it's fine. You just forgot to tell us about the keycard, didn't you Momota-kun?"

"Y-Yeah! I was so hyped up doing training with you guys that it slipped out of my mind. Sorry about that."

Harumaki scowls. "You're more passive than I thought, Saihara."

Shuuichi blinks. "Huh?"

"Hey, you," Harumaki addresses Momota, "were you planning to get rid of the keycard by yourself? Is that why you didn't tell us you found it?"

"What the hell do you mean? Course I'd tell you guys! I told you, I just forgot!"

Harumaki narrows her eyes. "Are you sure about that? If you don't want to die, then think carefully about your next words."

"Stop!" Shuuichi shouts as Momota begins to back away. The Detective averts his gaze, head bowed shamefully. "I'm sorry... it's our fault, Momota-kun. While you were gone, Harukawa-san found the keycard... and in order to understand why you had it, we were led to believe it was for suspicious reasons."

Momota frowns. He never likes it when Shuuichi looks so down like that, like he can't stand on his own two feet without staring at them. "What do you mean? What's going on here...?"

After exchanging glances with Harumaki, Shuuichi clears his throat. "It's nothing. Just don't forget to tell us important things like this again, otherwise Harukawa-san will get antsy."

"You're the antsy one," the brunette retorts, before sighing. "But I see now that  _he's_  always been unreliable."

"Hey!" Momota squawks.

"Now that that's over," Shuuichi says with a chuckle, "I think we should dispose of the keycard for real."

In the end Harumaki volunteers to do it, something that Momota and Shuuichi couldn't veto even if they wanted to try. Training continues as normal, a routine as familiar as breathing. While his two friends doggedly do their reps, Momota lies on a blanket of grass and sighs in relief.

 

* * *

 

He has to remember to get new sheets; he'd made the mistake of taking two tablets last night because, well, he thought it'd work. The resulting stomachache cost Momota his sleep and comfort, and waking up to the smell of coagulated blood doesn't put him in a good mood that morning.

He's in the middle of hanging his wet, stained sheets on the showerhead when his intercom rings.

"Oh, Harumaki!" he says, opening the door widely. The Assassin tilts her head slightly, a sort of silent 'hello' Momota's getting better at recognising (course, Shuuichi had been the one to point it out with his awesome detective skills).

"I just wanted to let you know that I disposed of the keycard last night," she says. "I flushed it down, like you meant to... though Monokuma lectured me for a few seconds, before I scared him away."

"That's my girl!" Momota flashes her a thumbs up, prompting a scoff.

"Don't call me that."

"What, a girl? But you are one, ain't you?" It's at that moment that Momota notices what she's wearing. "Is that... a new skirt?"

Harumaki twists her lips into a moue. "Shirogane gave it to me. Apparently it's worn by an assassin from an anime." She pats her new red-and-black plaid skirt. "She insisted I have it. Even when I threatened to kill her... she only called me cute."

Momota laughs. "I can see why! Even I think so too."

She looks away. "Regardless of what you think, those sort of words aren't flattering at all."

"What do you mean? All girls like to be called cute! It's better than being called an assassin, that's for sure."

"... You'd think differently if I had my normal gear with me. Then again, disguises like these," Harumaki eyes her school uniform, "aren't unlikely in my field of work."

"Don't think about the past, Harumaki. I feel bad every time I imagine a girl like you going 'round killing people." Momota bumps his fists. "So put all that behind you! You've got us now!"

He expects another frown, maybe even a hesitant smile. But Harumaki's sudden glare pierces Momota's cheer, rendering him speechless as she holds him in her glowing gaze.

"Don't flatter me so easily," she says, slowly, like a knife crawling up his skin. "I know I've made mistakes in the past. Even admitting that... is different to what I've normally thought."

She turns on her heel, skirt lifting with a breathy sigh. "But I'm trying either way. It's not like..." Her words trail off into silence, before she says, "Never mind. It's nothing you have to be worried about."

"Wait," Momota starts as she descends, "wait — Harumaki!" His feet won't budge; listlessly, Momota watches her leave from atop the stairs.

Did he say something wrong...?

A door slams open on the other side. Yumeno storms out with a determined look and, without preamble, starts bounding down the stairs and outside the dormitory.

... The fuck?

Things get weirder when he's intercepted by Iruma on his way to the dining hall. She's a good deal more rambunctious since he saw her last, and before he can ask her about her breakdown last night she effectively ruins his life with her big mouth — and  _no_ , "I did  _not_  have a threesome, are you fucking joking, Iruma?!"

Strangely enough, that doesn't reduce her into a quivering mess.

"No sweat, flower brain, I've got it all sorted out! Been working on an upgrade since last night while you were busy re-losing your virginity!" Iruma cackles. "Just wait a bit more... even though ya don't like to take things slow! Hyahahahaha~!"

Momota bristles. "You're a big talker, ain't you Iruma?"

"Hah?! What's that make ya, a fucking hypocrite?!"

"S-Shut up! I'm famous in space, damnit!"

"It's really too early for this level of noise," Shirogane says from behind them, but is ultimately ignored. Then Kiibo comes along and yep, Momota is not staying for any more of Iruma's drooling than necessary. He's heard of sex robots but never  _robot sex_ , so he doesn't know how she's going to--

—why the hell is he thinking about this.

"Toast," Momota mutters as he resumes his walk. He needs something fucking normal in his morning.

Why does Shuuichi always have to wake up late?

 

* * *

 

Gonta nearly knocks into him as he enters the dining hall, which is, obviously, not a nice surprise.  

"Shit, Gonta! What's the big hurry?!"

"Momota-kun! Gonta needs to ask you something!"

Gonta looks legitimately scary, the red tint of his eyes almost as fiercely potent as Harumaki's own. Momota takes a step back and gulps when Gonta matches it without hesitation. "Alright man, take it easy! What do you need?"

"Gonta decided last night that he'll save everyone! So... he's thinking of fighting Monokuma!"

"Boring, right?" says a familiar voice — as Momota peers to Gonta's side, he can see Ouma lounging on one of the chairs, munching on a piece of toast. Crap, now he wants some toast.

Momota clears his mind of distracting thoughts and looks to Gonta.

"Fight Monokuma, huh? That's real risky." For one, the bear's gonna have a ton of copies, and there's the remaining Exisals to consider too. Really, if Gonta wants to fight Monokuma then he'll have to fight a whole fucking army.

"That's what Ouma-kun said too," Gonta says dejectedly. "He also said the easiest way out is through murder. B-But Gonta doesn't want to murder one of his friends to escape by himself! He wants to keep everyone alive!"

Hold up.

Hold the  _fuck_  up.

"Ouma," Momota growls, the name rolling in his tongue like a curse word, "did you really say all that to Gonta? How much of an idiot can you get?"

"Huh? What's so idiotic about the rules?" Ouma places his hands behind his head with a smile. "If you play the game right and use the rules to your advantage, then you'll definitely survive!"

"Like hell you will! The rules are what's making us kill each other in the first place!"

"Oh, but isn't it keeping us alive as well? Since we get off scot-free if we find the culprit."

"You're not making any sense!" Momota snaps. "Now even Gonta's idea is starting to sound sane!"

Gonta smiles. "Really? You think so Momota-kun?"

"Y-Yeah! I got your back!"

"But didn't I say that fighting Monokuma and these sorts of plans were bad ideas? I mean if Momota-chan really trusted me," Ouma waves a hand, "he would know why."

Momota forces his mouth shut. Memories of last night assault him: the endless minutes pouring over every possibility and every unappealing outcome, the simmering anger he felt as Ouma denied him with a gleaming grin, so unsettlingly like Monokuma's.

He wants to protest.

He doesn't. "Sorry, Gonta... he's right. Don't get me wrong, I want to fight Monokuma too! But... it's easier said than done."

"But Gonta wants to save everyone as soon as possible! He doesn't want to lose anymore of his friends...!" Lip trembling, he looks at them resolutely. "If fighting Monokuma will keep everyone alive, then Gonta has to do it!"

Ouma's giggle pierces the room. "Then what do you plan to do? Kill Monokuma? Isn't killing what you're all afraid of?"

"G-Gonta won't kill Monokuma! Because if he does that... then Gonta will die, and that won't save anyone!"

"But fighting will? That makes no sense... No sense at all!" With a fluid motion, Ouma gets to his feet and jabs a finger at Momota. "Momota-chan! Punch some sense into Gonta!"

" _As if_!"

"But... don't you trust me?"

Momota squawks as the doors open. "Not  _that_  much! Don't fucking abuse it!"

"What's this about abuse? You guys getting rough now?" Iruma stands at the doorway with Kiibo in tow, the latter appraising them in alarm. "Hah! Watch out, Kiibs, they might start doing it on the table!"

"Do what, Iruma-san?" the Robot asks, just as the others arrive and thankfully interrupt whatever Iruma was about to grossly exaggerate. Shirogane glances at the scene worriedly, Harumaki by her side, whilst Yumeno, short of breath, trails after them.

"What's going on...?"

Ouma grins. "Gonta is going to fight Monokuma and get himself killed."

He is met with a howling chorus of dissent.

"This is for everyone's sake!" Gonta shouts, silencing everyone. "This is the only thing Gonta can do. He  _has_  to do this. If Gonta doesn't do it right now, then when?!"

"It's still crazy!" Shirogane exclaims. "There's still two Exisals left, after all!"

"Gonta knows that, but... he has no choice! He has to try!"

Shuuichi comes in not a second later, ever the last one to breakfast. But even he can't dissuade Gonta, and the argument continues until the grating of tiles announces their headmaster's arrival.

"What is this noise? Is this praise? Worship for me?" Monokuma puffs out his chest. "You guys are sweet! Oh, but cruel too! Thankfully I condone such conflicting things! It's like me: white as angels on one side, black as demons on the other!"

Yumeno pulls the brim of her hat. "Someone get rid of him..."

"Yumeno-san, please don't encourage Gonta-kun..!"

As Momota and Kiibo hold Gonta back, Shuuichi addresses Monokuma with scrutiny. "Why did you appear all of a sudden? Are you... accepting Gonta's challenge?"

Monokuma huffs. "Of course not! What do you think I am, a masochist?! No, I came here to announce a new rule I'm adding thanks to three of your classmates!"

"Boo!" Ouma shouts. "Who should we blame for this? Show yourselves!"

To Momota's surprise, Harumaki speaks up. "You're talking about us, aren't you?" To her side, Shuuichi blinks in realisation.

"I see," he says, finger perched under his chin. "Momota-kun, Harukawa-san and I all agreed to dispose of the motive keycard last night. If that's the case... then the new rule will be something about that."

"Tha~at's right! From now on, it is forbidden for students to destroy motives! The killing game needs its fuel, after all!"

"Wow... Saihara-chan really is amazing! Hey!" Ouma bounces on his feet. "If we can't get rid of motives then we'll always be tempted to murder... which means there's no way we can delay the inevitable!"

Gonta gasps. "G-Gonta can't allow that! Because of that... he'll fight Monokuma now!"

"No, Gonta-kun! You mustn't!" With a grunt, Kiibo puts all his weight into stopping the Entomologist's advances. "No matter the context, violence is bad! It is the origin of killing! If you kill Monokuma—"

"Gonta has no choice! He has to do this!"

"No, you don't! You gotta live to fight another day and that shit!" Momota grabs the arm not being held by Kiibo and helps the Robot immobilise their huge friend, as difficult as it is. "We'll find another way! We'll just—"

Pain cuts him off. Kiibo crumples in his periphery. A large arm knocks Momota off his feet. He flies, head hitting the back of the table's edge.

_Shit_ , he thinks as screaming erupts, as pain builds up in his chest. He can't do it right now, not in front of everyone!

"You  _killed_  him," he hears someone say.

Then everything blacks out.

 

* * *

 

_"That doesn't matter! Like I can let these guys do what they want anymore!"_

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

_"HELL YEAH! Looks like we've determined who we're going to make an example of!"_

_"Watch carefully bastards! This is what happens when you defy us!"_

 

 

 

_"Momota-kun, run!"_

 

 

 

 

 

 

He wakes in his bed. It's dark, save for the slit of light peering from under his door.

Momota winces when he sits up. His muscles protest weakly, either from a cramped sleeping position or, more likely, the fucking result of whatever happened that morning. Shit, what's the time? His head's a little woozy when he checks his Monopad.

10:46 AM.

He's really fucking hungry.

Sluggishly, Momota shuffles off his bed.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," he says when Shirogane and Harumaki assault him in the dining hall. He just wants to  _eat_ , dammit. But Shirogane is weirdly persistent and somehow convinces him to sit and wait as she gets his meal.

Harumaki stares from the seat across him.

"Hey," Momota says.

She inclines her head.

"... About this morning—"

"It's nothing. Don't worry about it."

Harumaki doesn't look any different than usual, except for the skirt, of course. She's always been cagey and quiet and curt, which Momota loves by the way, don't get him wrong. But he has the distinct feeling that he's responsible for Harumaki's extra dose of silence.

Luckily he's got the perfect ice breaker.

"So," he says, leaning forward. "What the hell happened after I got knocked out?" 

_Perfect_.

"You slept for two hours."

Momota winces. "I-I meant besides that... I'm pretty sure there was screaming while I was on the floor. Gonta didn't actually fight Monokuma, did he..?"

"Of course not. Would we be so calm if he did?" Harumaki sighs. "No, knocking you and Kiibo unconscious discouraged him. That and Ouma..."

Momota rolls his eyes. "It's  _always_  Ouma. What'd he say this time? I bet it didn't make sense."

"He said Gonta killed you both."

"That's," Momota starts as anger creeps in. "That  _bastard_. He can't say that, not to Gonta of all people! I'm going to have a talk with him!" His stomach rumbles. "A-After eating..."

"There's no need for that," Harumaki says, looking almost exasperated. "I already gave him a warning. If he's smart... he should know not to say such stupid things."

As Momota watches her fiddle with her pigtail, he gets the distinct feeling that Ouma's responsible for some shit, too.

"What do you think about him?" he asks, sprawling on his seat in a sorry attempt to look casual. Harumaki casts him an unimpressed look.

"What do I think? He's a threat to the group. He provokes others for no good reason... You should know that."

"Well, yeah, but there's gotta be more. I mean, you're not just an assassin, you're — well." Momota waves a hand. "You're Harumaki."

"... What does that even mean?"

"Huh?"

Harumaki looks away. "I choked him this morning. Ouma. After he said those things."

"Huh? Is that what you're worried about?" Momota chuckles. "Don't worry about it, we've all been there! The thought, I mean, not the actual physical choking—"

"Because that's only something an assassin would do, right?"

He blinks. "That's... not what I meant."

She doesn't reply. It's nothing new, but Momota can sense something deeper lurking under her usual behaviour. Was it because of this morning? Momota sighs. Fuck if he knows, but he's not leaving without an answer. "Something up, Harumaki? You can talk to me, you know."

The Assassin scowls. "I told you, it's nothing."

"Harumaki—"

"You've been acting weird yourself," she retorts. "It was understandable with the occult stuff but now, you slacking off at training is getting irritating. Your excuses are appalling, by the way. Not to mention the incident with the keycard..."

"I-I forgot! I was too focused on counting the stars last night... And making sure you guys were keeping track of your reps!"

"Like I said, appalling."

Shirogane finally comes in with some food, thank God. "Sorry it took so long to heat up! Here you go, a nice bowl of tonkotsu ramen. And strawberry milk." Hey, his favorite. Momota drinks it greedily as Shirogane continues, "It's nearly lunch so the others will come in soon. I know Iruma-san is repairing Kiibo-kun, and Ouma-kun and Saihara-kun are together. And I think I heard Yumeno-san invite Gonta-kun to Tenko-san's study center... Oh! Harukawa-san and I were going to cosplay but I wanted some props for practice. Harukawa-san, are able to slice through a watermelon?"

"If it's no bigger than a human head."

Momota spits out his milk. "H-Hey!" he sputters. "Don't make those sort of statements!"

Harumaki narrows her eyes. "Nobody was asking for your opinion."

"Ah, Harukawa-san still is harsh," Shirogane says. "But I can tell you're opening up to us. It must be because of Momota-kun's influence, huh?"

Momota frowns. "What're you talking about? I never told her to do all that."

"And you don't need to." Harumaki stands abruptly. "I'm going back to my room. Don't follow me."

"Wait," Momota stammers, matching her movements, " _room_? Which one, the dorm or your study center?" But Harumaki leaves in silence, and Momota turns to Shirogane in confusion. "I don't get it. Did I piss her off or something?"

"Maybe we both did," the Cosplayer sighs. "But I wouldn't take it to heart. I think Harukawa-san is just trying to find herself right now."

"If she is, she doesn't have to do it alone... Maybe we'll just sit down and talk for training tonight, see if she'll open up then..."

"That's very thoughtful of you, Momota-kun." Shirogane tilts her head innocently. "You know... you two would make a great couple."

Momota balks. "T-The hell did that come from?!"

"Just an observation! Although, the nice guy and tsundere trope is too common nowadays..."

"W-Whatever, get that shit out of your head! You've been reading too much of your romance books or something."

Shirogane harrumphs. "Shojo manga, Momota-kun! At least use the proper term!"

Momota eats his ramen with a dismissive wave. He feels her gaze on him, as she goes to lean on the table's edge.

"This might seem out of line," she says tentatively. "But I heard what you two were saying about Ouma-kun. And if I can give you my opinion it's... well. The things he says... sound like they belong to someone who likes killing."

Momota considers her words. Yeah, Ouma preaches about 'playing the game' and 'becoming the winner' but other than that...

"I don't know. Maybe." He gulps down his noodles. "He's never made any sense. Always doing whatever he pleases." Helping him, insulting him, implying shit left and right... "Man, I don't know. Hopefully I can get him round one of these times."

"Such a Kamina," Shirogane dreamily sighs. "I feel like you're going to influence a lot of people in this life and the next, Momota-kun."

 

 

* * *

 

She leaves not long after Momota finishes his meal. He sits lonely in the dining hall with a full stomach and uncharacteristic calm settling in his bones, rethinking his options.

Obviously fighting Monokuma isn't an option. So is everything he discussed with Ouma, because despite how annoying the shorter boy can be, he did explain why Momota's ideas were, to put it bluntly, pretty shit. All of them would have ended up with him dying or hurt or same as always, with nothing achieved. All except one.

He can make a deal with Monokuma. It'll be unpleasant, but it's the best chance he's got. If Gonta couldn't even dent Monokuma without the threat of death, then what choice do they have?

It has to be something good, too. And Momota can't demand for much, because as much as he likes challenging the impossible, he knows that simply wishing for the game to end won't get him that far. No, he has to  _negotiate_  this shit, which is... annoying to think about.

But it's not like he has long. And Momota would rather give up his Talent than die in this fucked up school.

He just has to be smart about this whole thing. Like Shuuichi, all cool and logical and... probably not as angsty, but Momota will make it work! After all, he has to be a good example for his assistant.

Upon leaving the dining hall, he quickly runs into Gonta, who hovers over him with such shame on his face that any grudge Momota ever held towards him is dispelled.

"Momota-kun!" Gonta exclaims. "Are you okay?! Gonta is sorry he hurt you this morning! Even though it was an accident, he should've known better...!"

"It's cool, don't apologise so much," Momota says, forcing an easy smile. "You were just riled up 'cause you wanted to look after everyone. I totally get it."

Gonta stops him with a serious, serious look. "Are you sure?" he asks, which makes Momota blink.

"I told you, I'm fine. If I can handle space, a little shove is nothing!"

"Sorry, it's just... Gonta helped Harukawa-san carry you to your room after he hurt you. He got a bit confused when he couldn't find your blankets, but when he did... they were very pink. Like blood."

Oh.

Shit _._

"Momota-kun, if anyone has hurt you, then you  _have_  to tell Gonta. Because Gonta will protect you from them!"

"W-Wait, I don't need protecting!" Momota flails. "Gonta, that wasn't blood! J-Just a fancy design I picked up from the warehouse!"

"Eh? But Gonta smelled blood?"

"Pft, as if, that was just your imagination..." Momota clears his throat. "So, uh, did Harumaki think it was blood too..?"

Gonta frowns. "Harukawa-san didn't get to see your blankets. She left to go find Ouma-kun. I don't think she was very happy with him..."

Momota scratches the back of his head. "Right, the choking thing..."

"It's all Gonta's fault. Because he didn't listen to everyone, he risked you and Kiibo-kun's lives. He made everyone scared... even Harukawa-san..."

"Hey, don't beat yourself up! You were just trying to save everyone! I mean... it's not the first time any one of us has tried." He looks away. "Shit happens. We just... gotta make the most of it."

 

 

* * *

 

Momota may or may not have watched Ouma drag away an unwilling Shuuichi and declined to help.

Yeah, he's not going to get involved in that.

"Oi, weed man! You're finally up!" Momota blinks as Iruma bounds over to him, hair mussed and goggles slightly askew. "Ha! You took a big hit earlier, Tarzan knocked you right out like you were a fucking rag doll! Kiibs too, but I already had my session with him, if ya know what I mean... Anyway! I got something to show ya."

"Uh. It's not weird sex stuff, right?"

Iruma scoffs. "Like I'd let your flat ass gaze upon those beauties! Come on, I haven't got all day!"

"Alright, alright! You don't have shout at me!" Momota sighs. "Man, just listening to you is giving me a fucking headache..."

"Now that you're here," Iruma says after dragging an unwilling Momota to her study center (goddamn  _karma_ ), "lemme show ya what the gorgeous Iruma Miu finished making today!"

She swipes away balled up schematics and upends a device. "Wait a sec," Momota says, tracing its familiar shape with his eyes. "Are you  _kidding_  me, that's just the Remembering Light!"

"No, it's not! It's loads better than that! This one actually does the job right! I made it longer, and thicker, and harder—"

"H-Hey, I don't need to hear about that! Quit wasting my time!"

"I'm not! I-I wanted to show you 'cause it's an upgraded version of the Remembering Light! Behold, the Playback Rod, your number one cure for every shitty hangover!" Iruma presents it to him with a mad grin. "With this, we can really get our memories from the outside world!"

Momota looks at the thing with raised brows. "Upgraded version? What, Monokuma's Light ain't enough?"

"Course not! It’s fucking joke, is what it is!" Iruma huffs. “You know how I took a long-ass time to fix the lens? It’s ‘cause I was looking at the lamp. And after poking around, I found something real creepy!"

“There was this function,” she explains. “The filament’s fine, but the actual bulb was weird as fuck. Like the neural settings weren’t programmed for continuous use, and there was some kinda… roll in there.”

Huh? “The hell’s a roll?”

Iruma scowls at him. “A film roll, you idiot! Like the stuff you find in old cameras! Except it’s a program in a little black box. The code wasn’t in a language I recognised, but I could make out the thumbnails. It's stuff we saw from the Remembering Light.”

“So wait,” Momota says, processing her words, “you’re saying that our memories... were in the bulb?”

“Yeah! Fucking creepy, isn’t it? I understand giving our memories back, but you’d think they’d just jumpstart our brains, not force-feed us with memories like we ain’t got a gag reflex—“

“S-So wait,” Momota says, scrabbling for anything that’ll get Iruma to stop that train of thought, “it’s just giving us memories? It's not really making us remember?”

She looks at him too seriously.

"The way I see it, it's been _implanting_  memories."

Those words, combined with her grim tone, shake Momota to the core.

"Hold up," he says, "you're saying they were fake?"

"That's what it fucking looks like. It's why I made this," Iruma raises her device, "so we can verify those memories, see if Monokuma was messing with us or not. I scrapped the lens and upgraded the neural settings, which was real hard to do, so you better appreciate it!"

"You know what? I actually do. Like holy shit, Iruma," Momota laughs. "I thought you were just a perverted psycho. But you're actually pretty cool!"

"Ggh?! T-That's—" Iruma straightens with a shaky grin. "C-Course I am! I'm a fucking genius, after all! Now shut up while I turn this thing on!"

Momota complies if only because of her damning words.  _Implanted_  memories? Just what is Monokuma doing to them... and why? Everything they've seen from the Lights since then, the SHSL Hunt, the funeral and the end of the world... they were  _fake_? What the hell?! Monokuma's been lying to them this whole time? But if it's not the end of the world, then why hasn't anyone come to help..?

"So how's this work?" Momota asks, hovering over Iruma's shoulder. "There no roll or anything?"

"Tch, are you stupid? Did the big guy hit you  _that_  hard?" Iruma angles the device so he can see it better. "See that? That's the halogen lamp. I specially wired the filament so when I turn it on, it'll activate the shit in our basal ganglia, hippocampal formation, you name it. I calibrated it so we'll remember shit before the game started,  _hopefully_. I haven't test run it yet, that's why I dragged your ass here."

Momota frowns. "You're not gonna do it with me?"

"Course I am!"

"Then why didn't you test it yourself?!"

"I-It's  _your_  idea! You're the one who brought the Remembering Light to me!"

Momota wipes his face with a hand. Cool or not, Iruma is still a pain to deal with. "So what? If this fails then I get the blame? Even though  _you're_  the one who made."

"It won't fail!" Iruma cowers. "I just I didn't want to do it by myself! If... I happened to see something other than those memories... I didn't want to be the only one who knew. And you know! It's good to have a witness and all that, so you don't think I'm fucking crazy or some shit!"

"I don't know if there's anything worse than the end of the world... but I get your point." Momota grins. "It's always good to do things together. That's what friends are for!"

"S-Stop forcing yourself on me," Iruma whimpers, fingers poised over the switch. "I'm gonna turn it on now, so don't take advantage of me while it's going..!"

"How would I even — we'll both be fucking  _inert_ — you know what, just do it already."

She does.

 

 

 

 

 

Light, blinding light. Burning electrodes. Something thick, hot, boring into his skull. His fingertips feel warm, his tongue alight with cold, sterile saliva. Phosphenes swarm his vision.

Momota opens his eyes. He traces sixteen figures.

_I guess there’s no doubt about it, then._

Ordinary uniforms. A school gym. A mop of green.

 

Standing before him, Amami raises a finger. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter should've been out sooner but, I had doubts. Characterisation is really important to me and I always second guess myself whenever I read more about a character's motives, personality, speech patterns, etc. Hopefully I can do them justice, and that you enjoyed this chapter regardless :)


	5. Internal Revision of Communication Delays

Holy shit, it's Amami.

Momota looks around the room. It's everybody, all sixteen of them, Toujou and Hoshi, Chabashira and Yonaga and Shinguuji, Akamatsu—and him too, but he's not... in his body. Like some sort of out of body experience, like a dream. Except this couldn't be a dream, not if Iruma's device actually worked—

"But what's your plan? Whose job is this?" Momota turns to Amami. The green-haired boy has a finger raised at the—what the fuck, it's the Monocubs! All of them, even the annoying blue one! Momota can see it scowl as Amami says, "Why are you doing this ridiculous copycat routine—"

 "Aw, shut the hell up!" the Blue cub yells. "Your reactions are wayyyy too predictable! So BORING!!"

"Huh," the Red one says, hand to its chin. "If I look closely, you guys are pretty normal, aren't you?"

Normal? Now that Momota has a second glance, everyone is wearing something different than their usual attire. School uniforms, in fact, all from seemingly different schools. It's kinda disturbing to see Chabashira without her weird hair thing and Hoshi without his beanie...

"Have they remembered yet?" the Yellow one chimes in. "Their first memory, that is. You guys are all supposed to have some sort of amazing Talent."

Akamatsu shifts on a foot. "Amazing talent..? I don't have that..."

"Me too, I don't have anything of that sort," Shuuichi adds.

"Same here," in-dream Momota says, looking totally confused in a way that observer-Momota knows is him but... not.

"Just as I thought! You haven't gotten your first memory yet!" the Blue cub shouts.

Akamatsu stomps her foot. "Ugh, what's your problem?! Are you the Monocubs or what?!"

"The problem isn't who we are," says the Yellow cub. "If anything, you're the big issue here. You all forgot your Talents and became normal high school students!"

Akamatsu's soft, "Forgot our talents..?" echoes throughout the gym, so audibly real that it sends shivers down Momota's spine.

The Red cub nods. "It's thanks to the SHSL Hunt. Due to the Hunt, you all forgot your memories and became different people."

"Wh-What do you mean?" Shirogane asks just as Momota stumbles in whatever astral projection shit he's taken the form of, because  _hold up_.  _The Hunt_ , he tries asking, but his dream-self says nothing. The  _Hunt_ —what do they mean—what did they do to them—

"It'd be a waste of time telling you about it now."

"First we have to make you guys remember your true selves!"

"We'll unseal your Talents!"

_Oi!_  Momota mouths, when an agitated voice pipes up from behind him, "I don't really get this but... what do you mean by "unseal our talents"..?"

Annoyed, the red cub yells, "You ask too many questions!"

"Let's just get this over with," the Yellow cub says. "We have no use for normals like you."

"Yeah!! We're going to take all of that BLANDNESS from you guys!!"

And suddenly the room flashes... and everyone's clothes change. Only it's familiar, their familiar attire, Momota's usual space jacket and slippers and branded tee, when the Yellow cub says, "Well, now that you got back your Talents, it's high time for your memories!"

"HELL YEAH! GET FUCKING HYPED FOR THOSE MEMORIES! IT'S FINALLY TIME TO UNLEASH THE KILLING GAME!"

"Get ready for the Remembering Light!" the Red cub says, as everyone starts to panic, as a wave of nostalgia hits Momota like a comet, the mind state of his dream-self suddenly becoming tangible—fear—bewilderment— _realisation_ —when a familiar device is hefted out of the floor. "Using this light, we'll finally get started. Time for a wonderful story to begin!"

He's seen this before. Darkness descending over chosen unfortunates, the preluding suspense, crossfading to a commercial brea—

 

 

 

"—mota-kun? Can you hear me?!"

Grimacing at the pain in his head, Momota squints. "Shirogane?" he rasps, making out strands of blue hair.

"Momota-kun! Thank goodness you're awake! Iruma-san, sh-she's—I don't know what's wrong!"

Whimpers penetrate the air. Momota rolls to his side to see Iruma squirming where she lies, like she's having a nightmare—then his head protests from the movement. "Shit," he curses. Feels like he swallowed sand.

"I-I tried waking her up," Shirogane stammers, hands poised anxiously over the Inventor, "but it's like she's trapped! I don't know what to do without making it worse..!"

"Just—" Momota sidles up to her. "Just shake her, here, I'll—"

With combined effort the both of them shake Iruma awake, Momota releasing a sigh of relief when those watery eyes blink owlishly. Then he chokes back a curse when Iruma wrestles from their grip, scooting away like a dog beaten and cornered. "The hell?!" Momota snaps, barely supporting himself on his hands.

"I don't—" Iruma splutters, "I should be the one asking th-that, you fucking—!"

"Iruma-san, calm down!" Shirogane pleads.

She doesn't. She shakes and babbles and it's hella  _weird_. "Iruma, what'd you  _see_?" Momota edges closer. "Is it the same thing I did? The school, those bears—all of them—that what you got?" When she doesn't answer, Momota sucks in a breath. "Goddamnit, the hell did you do to us..?"

"It's not my fault! It worked fine! It... It should've..."

"But I didn't see anything outside!" Momota palms his head. "Okay,  _fine_. Where is it? We can try again, see if we get something different."

"D-Do you mean this?" Shirogane tentatively shifts aside, revealing the broken form of Iruma's light. Momota's face falls. "I found it like this when I came here, I was so worried that you—you hurt yourselves, or..!"

Momota sighs. "Must've dropped it..." He watches Shirogane cradle it in her hands, her gaze roving over each dented curve. She asks, almost with wonder, "What is it? Did Iruma-san build it?"

The Astronaut scrabbles for an answer. "Oh, y-yeah, it's like a... hangover cure. We were just doing a test run... See if it worked."

Shirogane appraises them with a blank look, and before Momota can say that no, they hadn't been drinking alcohol, she says, "Why don't you help Iruma-san to her room? I'll clean up here, it's the least I can do."

"Right! Thanks." With a grunt Momota gets to his feet, stumbling from head rush. "Man, that thing really did a number on me..."

Shirogane nods. "I-I'm glad I found you when I did."

To the side, Iruma babbles something incoherent.

 

 

* * *

 

She's still babbling when they leave her study center, too fast for Momota to decipher. With her arm slung over his shoulder, they trudge along the bright outside.

"Momota-kun?" Shuuichi says when they pass the courtyard. He sits across Ouma under the wisteria arbor. Ouma, whose gaze is sharp. Momota gulps.

"H-Hey, what's up..?" He flinches at his unconfident tone. If they notice, they don't say anything.

Ouma puffs out his cheeks. " _Saihara-chan_  and I were having a chat about the files in his study center. But you interrupted him at a very intriguing tangent. Apologise!"

"I ain't apologising for that!" From beside him, Iruma whimpers. Momota grimaces. "Anyways, not like I'm gonna stay and listen. Gotta take Iruma back to her room and all."

Shuuichi casts her a concerned look. "Why, what happened to her?"

"She, uh. Hit herself with one of her inventions."

Ouma tilts his head. "Really~? How come Momota-chan was lucky enough to see that happen..?"

"I don't  _know_ , it was all a fucking blur." Momota sighs. "Look, I don't have time for this. We'll talk later after training. Which reminds me," he turns to Shuuichi, "we're gonna be doing something different than the usual situps, so be prepared!"

Ouma hums. "Why don't I just join training with you guys?"

Shuuichi blinks. "Join us?"

"As if you're ready for that," Momota scoffs. "Try again when you're less annoying!"

"But don't you belie~eve in me~?"

"You gotta prove it first! I don't just trust anybody!"

"Really now," Ouma says. He leans forward on his elbows. "Then do you trust Iruma-chan?"

Momota glances at the Inventor. The drooling, barely conscious Inventor, who swears like a sailor and says things that make Momota wanna bleach his brain. He doesn't even know if her  _Playback Rod_  is legit, with the memories, and the realness...

"Yeah," Momota decides. Confidence surges in him. "Yeah, why not? She's been a lot more helpful than you've been. In—some ways..."

"Pigs  _are_  yum," Ouma says, like a little shit. Momota wants to hit him. Then Shuuichi looks at him like he's a suspect or something and Momota, instead of answering him, continues along the path with a halfhearted grunt to the both of them.

 

 

* * *

 

Iruma snaps out of her stupor once they reach her room and Momota doesn't know if it's better or worse.

He's never wanted to hit a girl as much as he did right at that fucking moment.

"Open it!"

"I'm not letting you in! You p-pervert!"

"I just want to talk! Like I'd ever get it on with you! Oh,  _shit_... if Kiibo's in there and you've done stuff to him—o-okay, maybe we can go to my room instead—"

"Hell no! I'm not getting high off whatever fumes ya got in there!" With wobbly legs, Iruma unlocks the door to her room. "I'm warning ya, d-don't make me change my mind! I'm not into noncon that much..!"

"You know," Momota says, after a quick look to see if there's a lack of Kiibo and other... gadgets inside. He doesn't finish, because the undeniable mess of blueprints and machine parts and who knows what blindside him into speechlessness. He can't make it to her bed without stepping on something. At one point he curses up a storm stepping on a fucking  _nail_.

He's beginning to regret this.

He's also beginning to regret sitting on her bed, but Momota's too scared to pat it for... wetness. Indignant, Iruma towers over him.

"You gonna stare all day long or what?"

Momota bristles. "You're really full of yourself, ain't you?"

"S-Says the dumbshit who's only been to space in his wet dreams!"

"Th-That's not true! Take that back, you obvious virgin!"

"Ee~ek! V-Virgin?! I've had way more game than you!"

"Who the fuck cares?! Geez," Momota huffs, raking his hair. "We're supposed to be talking about our memories, not getting at each other's throats! So?" He beckons to her. "What'd you  _see_?"

Iruma shifts uneasily.

"Well?"

"Y-You go first!"

Momota squawks, " _Me_?! I already told you the gist of it! You go, you made the damn thing that gave these memories in the first place!"

"I don't remember just yet! The afterglow's gone! I need time for it process, like—like a polaroid, or some shit!"

"Fine," Momota growls, if only because she looked really spooked about it. "But sit down first, I don't wanna crane my neck just to look you in the fucking eye... Wait, I wasn't," he adds abruptly as she hugs her chest, "Iruma, the  _hell_  do you take me for?! Just sit down!"

She does with a whimper. Momota takes a second to gather his thoughts.

"Okay," he says, remembering images, vivid like a dream. He tells her of everybody, all sixteen of them, in the gym with the Monocubs. Alive and well and... confused. One thing stands out.

"Wait," Iruma exclaims, "we forgot our  _Talents_?"

"That's what they said. We forgot them and became normal high school students... I mean," Momota waves a hand, "I guess it makes sense since we were wearing uniforms. They made us change into our normal clothes after this whole..." His eyes widen. "Shit, that's it! The Hunt! They were talking about the Hunt!"

Iruma recoils. "Th-The SHSL Hunt?"

"Yeah! The bears said that they... what was it? Why can't I remember..?"

"Was... was it something about our memories?"

Momota snaps a finger at her. "That's it! One of them said the Hunt... made us forget... and turned us into different people. Normal people, without our Talents. Maybe—! Maybe that's why we were all running away from them! Remember, our first memory?"

"But that," Iruma stammers, "that was from the Remembering Light!"

"So?"

"Those are fake, dumbass! I said it earlier!"

"W-Well, maybe you're wrong! You based your Light on Monokuma's right? So either you screwed up or it was real in the first place!"

"I'm telling you, it's not! My Playback Rod's the real deal, a hundred percent! No way I skimped out on a hangover cure, that shit works even in your sleep!"

"Ugh,  _fine_ , but that's definitely what the bears said. We forgot our Talents because of the SHSL Hunt. And afterwards..." Momota thinks hard. "They 'unsealed' them. They...gave our Talents back."

Iruma appraises herself with furrowed brows. "Wait, you're saying they fucking created my genius? Th-That I wasn't like this before?"

"I think we were," Momota says. "The Hunt just made us forget. Maybe the bears made us remember just for this Killing Game..." He frowns. "'Cause the last thing I saw... was the Remembering Light. They used it on us. And then... and then..."

Why can't he remember? He has it, on the tip of his tongue, a stray thought swimming in his memory--

He's snapped out of his reverie with Iruma's babbling. "The hell's wrong with you?" he asks, brows furrowed.

"You still don't get it, d-dumbass?! The truth?!"

"Hey—"

Then she stands, shakily jabbing a finger at him. "What part of this isn't clear to you? It's obvious, isn't it?! They made us ' _remember_ ' with their Light. The Light that gives us  _fake memories_. So everything we are, all our goddamn thoughts and ideas and selves are—are  _fake_. And you're wrong about the Hunt too!"

"Wha—how am I  _wrong_?! The hell's  _up_  with you?!"

Iruma clutches her arms and breathes, "Me? What's wrong with me? What's wrong with  _them_?! The guys who put us in this shithole, making us kill each other?!"

"Hey! Calm down!"

"A-As if I can be calm! The Hunt didn't take away our memories, our T-Talents! They gave it to us for fucking  _fun_! It's... It's...!"

" _Iruma_ ," Momota says, standing to tower over her with a stern gaze. He grabs her shoulders when she looks about to run away and says, "Oi, a lot of what you're saying isn't making sense! What'd you see? What's gotten you so riled up all of a sudden?!"

"I... I don't wanna play anymore!" she wails. "Safeword! I want my safeword!"

Goddamnit! "Look! You probably didn't hear me before but I said that I'd believe in you from now on! You worked hard on your thing and it'd be shitty of me to say it didn't work, 'cause, well, you're the SHSL Inventor!"

"I'm not," she sniffles.

"Course you are! You're the genius Iruma Miu, and all that... You may be perverted as fuck but we're in this together now, yeah?" Momota bumps his fists. "We're gonna beat up Monokuma and get the fuck outta here. I'm gonna go to space and you're gonna—build me a spaceship! That'd be hella awesome! You ever build a spaceship before?" Iruma stares blankly. "Okay, point is, I believe in you, which means we gotta work together from now on. You got it?"

He looks at her, eyes bright and hopeful and—she's shoving him away.

"Like  _hell_  I do! I don't need that flowery " _believe in me_ " crap! Fuck off!"

"You—" Momota goes wild-eyed. "You can't  _refuse_  it! I'm believing in you whether you like it or not!"

"B-But I don't consent! It's too dirty!"

"Quit messing around!"

They keep yelling at each other until Iruma says "cumgel" at which point Momota decides to nope out of her stupid room.

Why did he even try? He learned nothing out of their conversation, except that his memory  _was_  real and not something... fake from the Remembering Light. Red eye, strip of...

Aargh, it doesn't matter! It won't help them get out! He should've just—made Iruma build a missile or something. Smash that stupid cage dome into orbit. Except Ouma also vetoed that plan because _Monokuma's not that dumb, he'd stop you especially now you said your secret plan out loud like a big dummy—_

It's like the idiot  _wants_  them to stay in this school.

Momota saw him, in the memory. Tiny, shaking. Big eyes. Confused like the rest of them. Eyes that, even now, hold something more than what they bargain for.

Momota halts in the middle of the dorm space.

... What is he supposed to do again?

He looks at the time.

Oh, right. He has to go train.

Momota sighs. Seriously, he's made so many commitments to different people he wonders if he should just. Invite them all to another strategy meeting. Which... isn't a bad idea, actually. Momota keeps it in the back of his mind along with the other promises slash plans slash worries he has—and steps outside.

 

 

* * *

 

"You're not alright."

"I'm fine, really! Just got a stomachache..." Stomach, chest, head. It's a mixed bag of fucking annoying.

Harumaki narrows her eyes. "Another excuse? Still, I don't think you're lying... But, your stomachaches are becoming more frequent. You can't train like that."

Momota grins. "Hey, you really do care!"

Her face darkens. "Do you want to be killed?"

"Course not! I have to go to space after all!"

"You're not even taking me seriously..." At that, Momota regards her for a moment, but Harumaki shakes her head.

Shuuichi arrives not long after.

Momota crows at his presence. "All right! Now that we're here, let's get started! Come on," he beckons them to the grass, "training will be different for tonight. We're going to talk about us, get to know each other more. Especially Harumaki!"

"Me..?"

"Of course! We don't know a lot about you after all!"

"The same can be said for you," Harumaki points out, looking like someone tripped on themselves. Or some shit. Momota sits and beckons them over.

Air cool, grass warm, stars blinking above. The ache in his chest has subsided enough for Momota to feel more capable than usual, and he asks with anticipation, "So Harumaki, tell us 'bout yourself. Like your favorite blood type, favorite spaceship..."

"Not my blood type but... my favorite?"

"Momota-kun, that's not really a good question," Shuuichi says. Momota makes an affronted noise and Shuuichi adds, a bit sheepishly, "If it's okay, there's something I've been curious about... Harukawa-san, you said you were the SHSL Caregiver. What happened to that, exactly?"

"Woah, that's personal! Shuuichi, you need to warm up to her before going for the real thing!"

"O-Oh, was it really? Sorry..."

"It's fine," Harumaki says. They look to her. "To answer that... it's because I  _was_  a caregiver."

Then she speaks. Her orphanage, the kids she worked with, the people who took her in, molded her into a killer, devoid of emotion and understanding. Momota listens and feels a weight in his heart, growing heavier when Harumaki finally says, "It's not that interesting a story, is it?"

"I-It's not that," Shuuichi says with a frown. "Harukawa-san... it's the fact that you've been bearing all that by yourself."

"He's right. All that on a tiny body... you're carrying a lot." His chest burns. "But it's the same for Shuuichi as well. Both of you! Don't hesitate to share your burdens. You'll definitely get stronger if you lose that weight on your shoulders, got it?"

Shuuichi smiles. "Right."

Momota grins. "That's my assistant! How about you, Harumaki?"

The Assassin shifts. "Share my burdens? That sounds easier said than done... How am I supposed to do that if I don't know the answer myself..?"

"Then we'll think one for you, idiot. That's how it works!"

Harumaki doesn't respond. Momota rakes his hair with a sigh. "Look, I don't know what's been up with you recently... but you don't have to be afraid. That stuff about you being an assassin... you didn't deserve that. I mean, you've still got your other Talent, right? You're more better suited to that!"

"... Even if I am, it's too late now. I don't have the right to choose."

"But you do! I told you, you gotta put that stuff behind you!"

"And I told you not to flatter me," Harumaki sharply retorts. "I know what I am. What I've done. I can't ignore that part of me... that regrets everything."

Momota appraises her, the dip of her head, the crease in her forehead, the nuance in her frown. "Then you just gotta accept it," he says. "Once you do that, you can finally forget about it. Get stronger with us to get out of this stupid school. We're gonna need you, you know?"

Harumaki puffs out her cheeks. "I know," she says. "Either way, it's fine. I won't bother you about this anymore."

"Come on, what'd I just say? Bother us all you like!"

Shuuichi chuckles. "Momota-kun, you just decided that on your own. But, I agree. We're here for you, Harukawa-san."

After a moment, Harumaki looks at them both. "I know... Not like I have a choice, with how much you want me to rely on you," she says, turning solely to Momota. "But you're not a very reliable person to begin with, are you?"

Momota squawks, "Wh-What do you mean? I'm plenty reliable!"

"You slack off at training," Harumaki points out. Then she scrunches the bow on her chest and adds, "At least, I guess, in that regard."

"That's right," Saihara chimes in. "After all, we can always count on you for your support, Momota-kun. Of course, you can for us, too."

Momota smiles. "Yeah," he says.

_Yeah_ , he thinks as he watches them disappear behind their dorm doors, bracing himself on his own as his body thrums and thoughts swim dizzily in his head. There's no reason to tell them, it'll be too much of a hassle. There's nothing they can do about it anyway, 'cept escape the hell out of this place. Together. Without anybody else dying.

They've bought themselves time at least. Stuck it up to Monokuma like a man! Momota stumbles into his room with a grin and goes to change his clothes, when he spots his reflection in the bathroom mirror.

He's fine. Probably clammier than usual but he's fine. Fucking better than most nights.

Momota washes his face. Phosphenes swarm, silhouettes of sixteen flashing in the dark. Iruma's words echo in his head. He wipes his face and gasps.

Fake?

They're all  _fake_?

No  _way_  that's true. There's nobody who knows him more than himself—and that's the damn truth.

And yet—pink sheets mock him from where he's hung them on his showerhead. Momota swallows. Feels the thickness in his throat, the slimy warmth pooling in his torso. He doesn't remember feeling _that_  before. He's been "ghost sick" but never to this extent, so it must be—must be Monokuma's doing, this shitty illness of his. 

Stupid bear.

Momota's got it all sorted, though. He's just gotta hold on, not die, and not let anyone else die too. He believes in them! And yeah, okay, he'll make sure to tell them that. Not Ouma though—Ouma's playing with him, and the guy still needs to prove himself before Momota can trust him.

He stills.

"... Why did I go to him again?"

Huh... he  _had_  been freaked out by his near-episode of coughing during the trial. Probably messed with his judgement.

_Birds of a feather_ , says a voice. An annoyingly familiar voice. Momota tells it to go fuck itself. Swallows god knows how many aspirin tablets and believes he can beat his shitty stomach into submission.

 

 

* * *

 

Momota wants to die and it's not even funny, he's an idiot, aspirins are stupid, and he rests uneasy that night.

 

 

 

Akamatsu visits him again.

She pops up from time to time in his dreams. They float in space together. It's kinda cool. Sometimes Shuuichi's there, with him, to wave her goodbye.

She doesn't say anything this time. Just... looks at him. Momota doesn't need her to say anything—he already  _knows_ , it's a given fact, why else would he think differently? They've always been on the same wavelength.

Before she goes she says,  _Be careful._

_Be careful._

 

* * *

 

Momota thumbs Iruma's intercom to no avail; there's no answer, not even a faint yell. Not that he's expecting one. He's pretty sure that everyone's already had breakfast, seeing how late he's woken up.

That's until Shuuichi scares the ever living crap outta him by tapping him on the shoulder from behind. And calling his name, but the Detective's voice is never really loud to begin with. So. Momota turns to him with a fist raised. "G-Geez! Don't scare a guy, will you?!"

"Sorry! You couldn't hear me." Shuuichi looks at him curiously. "Then again, why were you ringing Iruma-san's intercom?"

"I need to talk to her." About what, Momota isn't too sure yet. Something to do with inventing or some shit. "You seen her around? Don't think she'd be holed up in her room this late."

"I actually just came back from breakfast," Shuuichi says. "And Iruma-san... she, ah. Wasn't there with us."

Momota gawks. "Wait, so you mean she could actually be in her room?!" He turns back to her door. "Iruma, hey! Don't ignore me, open the door!"

Shuuichi jolts. "Y-You must really have something important to say! Is... Is it..." he trails off, looking unsure like always. Momota claps him on the shoulder. "Sorry," Shuuichi finally says, "when I said it in my head, it sounded like I was jumping to conclusions."

"What did? Come on, share your burdens with me!"

"Er... it's not a burden. Just a question. About what happened with Iruma-san yesterday... and if that's why you want to talk to her right now."

"Uh," Momota falters, "yeah. Pretty much. Why're you asking?"

"Well, you just... seemed so worried about her." Shuuichi smiles. "You're the type of person who checks up on people, even if it's someone like Iruma-san."

"Haha! I'm pretty awesome, aren't I? That's why I'm Momota Kaito, legend in space! Luminary of the stars!"

"Right," Shuuichi says, sounding far too amused for Momota's liking. "But Momota-kun... have you been feeling well? You didn't come to breakfast after all, and like Harukawa-san said, you've been skipping training recently..."

"Ah, well, cuz we didn't train last night I decided to do my 100 pushups before going to bed." Momota flashes him a thumbs up. "I was so pumped I decided to do 100 more! So I had a lot of energy that night!"

"... Right." It's said with a touch of amusement and Shuuichi's trademark doubt, which Momota doesn't condone in the least. "If that's the case then, do you want to hang out while you eat?"

"S-Sure!" Momota side-eyes Iruma's door. "Gotta make time for my assistant and all!" Just like that, they walk to the dining hall, the Inventor momentarily forgotten.

 

 

* * *

 

"So why is Yumeno running like she's in a marathon?"

Shuuichi chuckles. Scratches the side of his head, as if looking for a brim. "I haven't asked her. I think it's to do with Tenko-san's wish for her to... express herself. Yumeno-san's definitely changed because of it."

"Good for her! Those kinds of memories, they're what drive us forward." Momota takes a bite out of his bread. "We're gonna need that strength if we wanna get outta here."

"Yeah," Shuuichi says. "After all, that's what Akamatsu-san wished for me... But still, I can't help but feel like I'm not any closer to discovering the truth behind this game. I'm only really useful after someone's died... Even then, that's just delaying our death, isn't it?"

Momota scoffs. "Come on, Shuuichi! Men shouldn't devalue their accomplishments! You saved our skins countless times in the trials and, really, there's not a lot we can work with to find what the fuck's going on, ain't there?"

"True... We really only have the Remembering Lights."

Momota stops chewing. Shit. The Playback, "Lights, y-yeah. Those. But you know... they're pretty suspicious." He swallows. "Didn't one of them say we were all dead?"

"That... was strange." Shuuichi hums. "But it has to be real, right? All the other Lights showed us memories we clearly forgot, and that clearly happened. So it would make sense if that funeral involving all of us... was true in some way."

"They could be fake," Momota says. A red eye glints.

"Fake?"

"You know." His fork scrapes the plate. "Like, Monokuma messing with us. If you really think about it, why  _is_  he showing us these memories? I get the motives, but." Momota shrugs. "Yeah."

He can practically hear Shuuichi think. "You have a point," the Detective says after a while. "It's strange that Monokuma would want to give our memories back since we... well, lost them."

"Probably for this game," Momota says.

Shuuichi looks at him. "Just saying," Momota adds, unnerved by the other's stare. For a meek guy, Shuuichi could be kinda terrifying when on the prowl for truth and shit. "E-Either way, it doesn't matter! Those Lights won't help us escape this place. You don't have to worry about finding the truth behind this game, Shuuichi. All that matters is that we get out before more people die."

"Ah... right." Shuuichi's tone is still unsure but... there's a spark of determination in his eyes. Momota knows it's because of Akamatsu and her wish. She wants them to get out together and that's all they need to do. Nothing else.

Akamatsu died because she tried to get to the mastermind, and she wasn't careful enough.

But they'll do it right this time. Him and Shuuichi, and Harumaki, and everyone!

Starting with Iruma.

 

* * *

 

Momota never thought he'd be seeking out the Inventor this much, but fate has a funny way of messing around. Talking with Shuuichi reminded him that Iruma  _also_  used her weird Rod (that—came out wrong) which means she got her own memories that need discussing. Might help them get out, might not. Momota's betting on the former.

So he walks to her outdoor study center for, what? the fourth time this past few days? and sees Kiibo hovering outside in the distance—when Momota topples to his side.

"Woah—!"

Suddenly he's staring at the sky with grass scratching his arms, and what the fuck. What the--

"Hiya," Ouma chirps, looking down at him with that stupid grin. "Momota-chan, want to join our chase~?"

Nearby Yumeno yells threats and Ouma gets off of him, to run away. Without helping him up. Like a little shit.

As Momota staggers to his feet Yumeno stops beside him, hands on her knees, panting.

"If... If only I had some mana left, I could've... turned him into a frog and caught him..."

"I think you got that mixed up," Momota says. Cracks his knuckles and adds, "So he pissed you off, huh? Don't worry, just pretend it's a tag team chase. I'll  _definitely_  get that guy..."

It turns out to be harder than he thought, not only cuz his body's a literal sack of useless but cuz Ouma's so damn  _fast_. But Momota pumps himself up with a yell and finally, finally corners the Supreme Leader in one of the study centers.

Momota hasn't been in this one before. It's a pretty cosy room, witha fireplace and a mantle and weird gears stuck behind the clock on top of it. He doesn't get to wonder who it belongs to, having taken three strides to tower over Ouma. Who sits on a couch with an innocuous pout.

"Momota-chan didn't come to visit me last night..."

"I was—busy," Momota huffs. Busy not wanting to deal with him, that is!

"If that's the case then you shouldn't make promises you can't keep. You'll only end up disappointing people. I told you, didn't I~?" Ouma places a finger to his lips. "We're the worst at keeping promises."

Momota wants to hit him. He always seems to every time he's around the Supreme Leader. Just something about the other's confidence  _rubs_  him the wrong way, when really, "Ouma, you say a lot but don't do much. At least me," Momota gestures to himself, to his aching chest, "at least  _I'm_  doing something. I'm trying to get everyone to work together." He stops to catch his breath. "What've  _you_  fucking done? Talked about—playing Monokuma's game? The hell's wrong with you?!"

"I could ask you the same thing," Ouma says. "Bu~ut, you'd probably lie to me. Or play stupid. Nishishi... Those are the only things you're good at."

"Stop," Momota growls, "playing circles with me! You've been acting weird recently, like this whole killing game's actually fun for you! Well, it's not for the rest of us!"  _It's impossible to escape this school. The rules are impossible to break. Monokuma controls everything. The mastermind knows everything._  "Do you—Do you even believe the shit you spout?!"

Those big eyes stare up at him, purple like a void. Narrowed, devoid of cheer. It's a pattern, Momota realises—the further he pushes Ouma, the more that stupid mask cracks. The weirder he gets.

Momota backs away.

"You," he sputters. Thinks about it and says, "You haven't apologised to Iruma, have you?"

"Hm? I didn't know I had to."

Momota scoffs. "The one thing I trusted you with..."

"Sorry~! I didn't know you and Iruma-chan became such close friends after you yelled in her face." Ouma hums. "I guess you  _were_  serious about believing in her. But I guess I should've expected something so boring from Momota-chan."

Momota grinds his teeth. "I'm serious about believing in you, too. But you gotta put in some work! Stop talking shit and—"

"Do what you say? But that's—"

"Boring, yeah, I  _get it_. Boring this and boring that, blah blah blah!" Momota raises a fist. "If you really want to be entertained then—then I'll be your entertainment! Watch the great Momota Kaito kick Monokuma's ass!"

"No thanks," Ouma giggles.

Goddamnit! Momota waves an arm at his direction. "I'm telling you Ouma, you need to prove yourself worthy of my trust!"

"But you haven't earned mine," Ouma says. Unflinching, he smiles. "And I won't trust someone who believes in a killer."

Momota recoils. "Killer? You mean Harumaki..? Th-That was your fault! You said I died yesterday!"

“Was it wrong for me to say that? Gee,” Ouma sighs, “now I don’t want to believe in someone who defends a killer.”

“She’s more than that,” Momota counters. He remembers last night: her struggle, her spoken worries, the unspoken tension. Conflict brewing in those cold, red eyes. He doesn’t know what, yet. Should he even know?

He appraises Ouma: the rise of his chin, the tautness of his cheeks, the gleam in his eyes. Orange light dancing on his features. The shorter boy gasps, “Really? Is she actually a monster in disguise?" He rocks back in his seat. "I knew it! I felt it when she was choking me, her true ugly colors! Momota-chan, what do you see in her?”

“Someone... who’s more true to herself than you.”

“… Huh? What makes you say that?”

“Because,” Momota says lowly, “if you’re always lying, you’ve gotta be hiding something big. Something worth us dealing with your bullshit.”

Ouma gives him a blank look. “Momota-chan… I could say the same to you.”

He moves to the door. “Birds of a feather,” Ouma singsongs, smile a mere afterimage. " _Flock together~! Liars to liars~..._ _deceive_ _to believe~!..._ "

As Momota watches him leave, all he can think is,  _Shit_.

Wearily, the Astronaut sinks on a couch. Conversations echo in his head. He grits his teeth.

 

He's got way too much to do...

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait! I've been busy with study, lack of sleep and demotivation. I still have all that but I deserve a break, dammit.
> 
> Since my exams are coming to a close I should be more active, though I can't promise a nice, consistent schedule. My chapters go through a fuckton of editing and proofreading. (This chapter is actually longer than it was supposed to be, heh.) At some point I'll be correcting errors in my other fics.
> 
> On another note, I'm going to write a V3 fic for NaNoWriMo. It involves a shota and a petition and a Killing Game, so it should be fun. I've also got to comb over the archive for fics I missed during my sorta-hiatus. 
> 
> Other than that, I hope you enjoyed this chapter :)


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